Stranded at the Altar
by Working-On-Sanity
Summary: Sasuke is married, and everyone but Naruto is happy. Sasuke promised him that their friendship would last; that he would never ignore him. But Sasuke broke that promise, and it seems as if Naruto is the only one who regrets it. Completed.
1. Wedding

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Summary: **Sasuke is married, and everyone but Naruto is happy. Sasuke promised him that their friendship would last; that he would never ignore him. But Sasuke broke that promise, and it seems as if Naruto is the only one who regrets it.

**Author's Note:** I'm trying to do something new, story-structure wise. This will be posted in small segments. I hate writing such small chapters, but I decided it would be best to post each time skip as a separate chapter. I'm writing Naruto... and no NaruSasu? Correct. There is no NaruSasu, just friendship between them. I'm trying to rid myself of the bad habit of turning manly males into sissies. Also, for anyone who is turned away by the idea of Sasuke/certain female pairings, I will not mention the name of Sasuke's wife, so you can think of her as whomever you please.

* * *

"So it actually happened, huh?" Naruto smirked, cupping his chin and resting his elbow against his knee. His position was not unusual, merely as relaxed and comfortable as it always was, and his grin was steady and unfaltering. But Sasuke immediately detected the abnormal aspect of Naruto's countenance––rather than Naruto's sapphire-like eyes twinkling mischievously, the dusky orbs were dull and seemed almost flat.

"Don't you dare start saying that you're jealous," Sasuke warned, despite there being no trace of a threat in his tone. "I don't like it when you start whining. I can't stand to have you making a big fuss over something like marriage."

"Why shouldn't I make a fuss?" Naruto demanded tartly, miffed that he was being insulted. "Sasuke, you're getting married, of all things. Now, I'll admit that I don't know how any of that goes, but what I _do _know is that being married changes people. And call me a sissy for thinking this way, but I'm just kind of worried that you'll start paying so much attention to your wife that you won't have time for any of the things that we always do together."

A curt laugh bounded from Sasuke's throat before he could clench his teeth against it. "Naruto, that _is _really childish. We're adults; why should I change so quickly after being married? You need to remember that I've known you a lot longer than I've known my fiancee. I wouldn't just push you aside that easily, you nitwit," he affectionately retorted.

Naruto shrugged, appearing considerably unconvinced. "It bothers me. And you're probably right––I'm jealous that someone else is going to occupy your time and I really shouldn't be. I guess it's just that I hate separating from people."

Sasuke's mirth had been evaporating through the course of the entire conversation, and now that Naruto's expression fell into a mask of neglected lonesomeness, he bore the weight of guilt for having carelessly prodded at his friend's emotions. Silently, he clasped his hands and rested them on his lap, staring down at the crisp fabric of his slacks.

"I wouldn't have thought that you'd be upset over this," Sasuke murmured. "It's odd that, for the first time, I'm the one who's happy and you're sulking. I shouldn't ask, but are you _sure _that you aren't thinking too much?"

Naruto's answer wasn't verbal. He stood, hooking the toe of his sneaker beneath the rung of his chair and deftly turning the chair around. Instead of sitting as one normally would, he straddled the back of the seat, dropping his chin to the backrest of the chair and sighing contemplatively. His posture seemed even looser now that he had abandoned his proper formality.

"You're my pal, Sasuke," he finally stated, peering into the distance. "And I can't really explain it. I just don't want to be lonely while you're away, especially while you're on your marriage trip. Oh, I sound like an old man," he laughed, easing the tension.

Sasuke smiled, accepting the humor. "You'll survive without me, I'm sure. And you'll be perfectly fine. I promise that I won't ignore you for anything, alright?"

Naruto nodded, and a smug glint teased its way into his eyes. "Just don't forget to bring me a souvenir back from your vacation."

* * *

Naruto was the one who cheered the loudest as Sasuke's mouth touched the lips of his bride. Naruto raised his hand, waving wildly, shouting out his approval––he would have quieted down in a matter of seconds had a pink flush of embarrassment not dusted Sasuke's cheeks. He knew very well that he was the cause of Sasuke's chagrin; that being so, he continued his loud antics for another few moments before sitting down.

He grinned proudly as each head in the auditorium swiveled in his direction. Even when Uncle Jiraiya slammed an elbow into his side in an attempt at silencing him, Naruto refused to be subdued. He successfully contained his excitement for only a couple of minutes, but when Kurenai began to roll her hands over the keys of the organ, the instrument blaring out a joyful melody, he leaped up once more, shoving his fingers into his mouth and hissing out a piercing whistle.

Sasuke lowered his head as he fairly crept down the aisle, his shoulders tensing as he passed Naruto. His fringe dangled against his cheeks, hiding his eyes from view, and he tightened his fists––a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Naruto.

Naruto did not draw any further attention to himself during the remainder of the ceremony.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Short chapter. I will post several of them, all short. Most under a thousand words. I will not be doing this again, I assure you.


	2. Fixing the House

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **This will be around five or so chapters, perhaps. If I can keep my strength up. I'm not used to writing something without James in it /sobs/.

* * *

"Wow... Sasuke, I can't believe how great this place looks!" Naruto exclaimed, soaking in the captivating beauty of the Uchiha mansion––the very same mansion that had been famed for all the deaths that had taken place within its walls now looked comfortably bright and cheerful. The walls had been whitewashed just days ago, gleaming in the focus of the sunlight. Yellow curtains fluttered like oversized streamers from the open windows, and the sweet scent of herbs wafted from inside the house.

Naruto inhaled deeply before breathing out contentedly. "You could have asked me to come over and help paint, though. I'll bet that was a chore, as huge as this place is."

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really. It went by quickly. And I didn't want to call you over just to ask you to work. That would have been rude, and... well... it's always nice to spend time alone with your spouse."

"I see," Naruto nodded sagely, pretending as if he was very aware of Sasuke's motives and choosing to ignore his last remark. "But really, though, it looks amazing. I'm glad you finally got the legal papers all signed to get your ownership of the mansion again. It's a lot better than living in an apartment, isn't it?"

"Sure," Sasuke agreed. "And I'd forgotten about the garden in the back. It's a lot bigger than I would have thought, and I've spent all day pulling up the dead plants. There's vines and weeds everywhere," he complained.

"Could I help?" Naruto eagerly requested. Gardening was one of his hobbies, and he was one of those individuals who, though not very advanced in other fields, could rattle off a list of complicated perennial flower names while scarcely even putting much attention into it.

"If you want," Sasuke cautiously replied, startled by Naruto's zeal for the project. "I'll show you the shed, and you can find a pair of gloves to fit you while I go inside to get you something to drink."

Happily, Naruto ambled after Sasuke, grinning giddily at the sight of the expansive garden. He enjoyed caring for plants––it was a tender, painstaking process that was often difficult, but always reaped a reward. There was no color more fascinating than the glowing purple of a newly budding violet, and he felt sympathy toward the lifeless dried twigs that had once been a healthy, flourishing plant.

Sasuke fumbled with the rusted lock on the shed, the bridge of his nose creasing as he exerted more effort than was needed into prying the lock free. He succeeded just before Naruto could intervene, and he pushed the door open with a heavy creak; the light flickered on, buzzing weakly, and Naruto squinted at the shelves of neglected lawn care supplies.

"Thanks, Sasuke," he mumbled, distracted by the rows of half-empty fertilizer bags, discarded bolts, and loose screws. He yanked a drawer open, wincing as various nails, screwdrivers, and wrenches scattered into view. Coughing lightly, fanning away the dust that ballooned into his face, he poked about for a pair of leather gloves.

Even after he had found a set and tugged them onto his hands, relishing the sensation of being ready to dive into moist red soil to tear at weeds, he remained in the shed to wait for Sasuke.

It bothered him that it took Sasuke half an hour to fetch something as simple as two mugs of iced green tea.

* * *

**Author's Note: **My friend got married. I based Sasuke off her new personality. Even her best friend gets pushed the side. But I can't blame her. Her husband is good-looking _and _really nice.


	3. Truck

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I'm not very talented with time-skips. I tried to keep things a bit vague to focus more on Sasuke's and Naruto's fading relationship, and I don't know if that's good or bad.

* * *

"Naruto?" Sasuke leaned over the back of the desk, tapping his fingers lightly against Naruto's forehead. "I have to go get some groceries for tonight. You can come with me if you want."

Naruto detested shopping, mainly because everyone else did it differently than he did. While he could race in and return with an armful of packaged instant ramen and a carton of milk in less than ten minutes, other people took to the task more leisurely. Sasuke was one of those other people. He was not generous with money, and would meticulously calculate which out of five similar products was the least expensive–– consequently, going shopping with him was an all-day event. Naruto had always thought of Sasuke's wise spending as ludicrous, but had never really understood why Sasuke's wallet was always plumper than his own.

"I'll go with you," Naruto decided hastily. If it was only an errand, it still meant that he could be with Sasuke. He could even act as if Sasuke was not a married gentleman and tease him endlessly, as he had when they were younger. He couldn't miss an opportunity like that––whenever he joked with Sasuke in the presence of his wife, she became enraged and indignant.

"I'll get the list and my jacket, and you can go start the truck." Sasuke flipped the ring of keys to Naruto, who whipped out his arm easily to catch them. He smirked as he jingled them, remembering how arrogant Sasuke had been once he had received his driver's license. He himself still could not brag about owning a vehicle––it had always seemed to be a waste of money, especially when he had no difficulty with walking to wherever he wished to go. Besides, Sasuke had always driven him around in his pickup truck; though now, Sasuke's wife occupied the coveted front seat.

Blowing a long sigh through his nose, Naruto leaned back in his desk chair, clasping his hands and stretching his arms high above his head. His back cracked sharply, and he grimaced, being reminded that he was constantly growing older. The odd thing about it, though, was that all the afflictions of beginning the descent into "middle age" had happened soon after Sasuke left behind his status of being single.

Willingly, Naruto pushed himself away from the desk, twirling the heavy ring of numerous keys around his finger as he sauntered down the hall. The air conditioner sputtered weakly, and he lifted his head to let the chilly breeze stroke his neck. The insurance office had never been his favorite place––it was so quiet and seemed void of life. Only when someone coughed or sneezed did he remember that he wasn't alone, huddled in his cluttered cubicle.

"'Bye, Kin," he called, waving in farewell. The girl smiled briefly, her sheet of hair glistening as she placed a document page on the glass face of the clunky printer. He pitied her, despite not knowing her very familiarly. She always seemed to be busy or without a companion to speak with. People such as her made Naruto appreciate his own friendships even more.

Pulling the door open, he stepped over the raised threshold and squinted in the bright bands of sunlight. His eyes narrowed to slits as he scanned the wide parking lot for a glimpse of Sasuke's truck. Blue, copper, red, yellow, and white vehicle hoods merged together in a swamp of bright color, and the many chrome fenders gleamed blindingly. Far in the distance, crouched behind a lamppost, Sasuke's clean truck hid, its fat tires pleading to be raced over the warm asphalt.

"Don't worry, baby, I'm coming," Naruto murmured. He felt a surge of sympathy for the beautiful truck, lonesome and practically oozing over the parking lot in the stifling heat. He quickened his pace to a rollicking trot, tossing the keys into the air and snatching them before they could fall. Each motion sent a new gust of hot air down his throat, and he soon tired of his game and let his arm fall uselessly at his side.

It seemed like an hour had passed before he finally managed to stumble up to the truck, gingerly dropping his hand on its protruding side mirror and rubbing his thumb over the warm metal. The heat was suffocating, and it seemed to grip his neck, squeezing tightly enough to prohibit his intake of breath. Even as he opened the swinging door of the driver's side, its hinges squeaking in protest, an oppressing wall of scalding air pushed against him. He fanned his burning cheeks as he settled into the leather seat, hissing as his fingers gripped the hot steering wheel. He fumbled to insert the key into the ignition, and the truck started with a rumbling, smooth purr.

_Come on, Sasuke, _he griped. _I know without doubt you're saying 'bye to that blamed woman of yours, probably with your mouth all over hers. You better not be keepin' me out here for long._

He sagged against the back of the seat, pressing the button on the armrest of the door. The window pulled down with a shriek from lack of use, and he quickly leaned over to activate the air conditioner. Sasuke would surely give him a lashing the instant he learned of Naruto's carelessness; his truck gulped gasoline as if it were constantly starving, and Naruto knew he shouldn't have been running it for as long as he did.

But he would certainly have burnt to a blackened sooty crisp in the heat, after twenty prolonged minutes of waiting, had he not been soaking in the truck's cool air.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Naruto is jealous, simply because the "wife" stole Sasuke's time. I had roles planned out for the girls, but I decided not to put them in, so the identity of Sasuke's wife is concealed. SasuHina, SasuSaku, SasuIno, SasuKarin, Sasu... anyone. SasuOro.


	4. Two Becomes Three

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I can't imagine Sasuke as a father, not really. If the baby touches his Kunai, he'll smash it.

* * *

"You have _got _to be kidding me." Naruto smacked his broad palm against his forehead, his skin tingling from the contact. "Are you serious? Honest, now. You ain't joking?"

Sasuke's expression was strikingly similar to the one he had worn after overindulging in sour button candies. His pale lips were bent in a disbelieving frown, as if he was not entirely sure that Naruto understood.

"Why are you acting like this?" he asked testily. "It's nothing to be surprised about. It was bound to happen." He raised his shoulders in a faint shrug, the ever-present crease in his brow deepening in thought.

"And why are _you _actin' like we're talking 'bout the weather?" Naruto retorted. "This is an event. This is a big deal. You're going to have a _kid_. You. The one who nobody thought would ever get married, let alone have the gall to get your wife pregnant."

Sasuke crinkled his nose in disgust. "Naruto. She's my wife. She's not a girl from the street. Don't try to make it sound repulsive."

"Bu––I––it––it is!" Naruto stammered, spreading his hands in frustration. "I mean... Sasuke. I just can't think of it. You with a baby. It ain't right."

"Who's to say it isn't right?" Sasuke snapped, his tone wavering. Irritation flared in his stomach, and he could feel sweat pricking his temples beneath his thick bangs. Naruto had always been stubborn and difficult to accept things he didn't approve of, but this was completely unnecessary.

"Naruto, let me tell you something." Firmly, Sasuke crossed his ankles and folded his arms over his wide chest. "You know how much having a family means to me. It's practically the duty of every son––to continue the family. To have children that have your name. To let the generation go on. I had a great family, Naruto. I don't want the Uchiha to die out. When I'm gone, who would be left?"

"I'd remember you," Naruto said bitterly. He stared at the floor, slumping wearily, his eyebrows furrowing contemplatively. His lower lip jutted in a pout, and Sasuke resisted the urge to kick him.

"Did you not understand what I said?" Angrily, his face darkening, Sasuke uncrossed his legs with a jerk and stamped his heels into the ground. "You might not want a girl. But I actually have one, and you know what? She told me she wants a kid. Even if I _didn't _want one, I'd let her do it. It's selfish of you to try keeping that from me, just to make yourself happy."

"Sasuke––" Naruto began, his voice breaking unpleasantly. His pulse pounded in his ears, and he desperately wished to run somewhere dark, where he close his eyes to stop them from stinging.

"Sasuke, why is this my fault?" Naruto scrubbed the heel of his hand against his eye, blinking and frowning as he realized the moisture glazing his skin was tears. He tightened his throat, deliberately deepening his voice. "You made me a promise. A long time ago."

Startled, Sasuke regarded this information, a sneer pulling his face taut. "And what promise was that?"

Naruto yanked his head up quickly, his eyes steely and blank. He gazed into Sasuke's dark pupils for a fleeting moment, before turning away, inhaling deeply. He laced his fingers together, propping his elbows on the tabletop and resting his chin on his knuckles. His rough yellow shadow of stubble grazed his flesh, but he ignored the prodding pain, his neck stiff and aching.

"Remember when we were in the dressing room, getting you all fancy and stuff for your wedding? And you remember sitting down with me and telling me that getting married wouldn't change a person?"

Suspiciously, Sasuke glanced at him, an ominous shudder swirling up his backbone. He did remember, and what his memories offered him made guilt spiral through his belly and thrust down into the midst of his hips. He shifted uncomfortably, resting his arm on the table and chewing pensively on the inside of his cheek.

"Well... you know you promised me somethin', Sasuke," Naruto continued softly. "And you know, too, that you've forgotten about keeping that promise. You promised me that you wouldn't ignore me."

"And I haven't been," Sasuke interjected tartly. "I've spent a lot of time with you, Naruto, even to the point where it makes my own family upset. I should be staying with her a lot more than I stay with you."

"Why? So you can have your hands all over her?" Naruto scowled, fury wrinkling his nose. "You've been skipping out on me a lot lately. You told me that no matter what, you'd stay by me. You've known me a lot longer than you've known _her_." He spat the last word as if it left a foul taste in his mouth.

"It isn't as bad as you say," Sasuke replied evenly. "Explain."

Sasuke's calm exterior and easy words made Naruto feel foolish for raising his voice. Feeling much less dignified, he coughed lightly, and brushed his finger over his freckled nose habitually.

"There was that time at your house," he muttered. "You left me out in your shed looking for garden tools, while you _said _you were getting us drinks. I waited for you a long time, and when I went back inside, you and that _woman _were sitting right here, drinking the tea that was supposed to have been for me."

Startled, Sasuke remained silent, not having expected to be reprimanded in honesty. He had anticipated heavy exaggerations on Naruto's part; it only hurt worse that Naruto was telling the truth. How could he deny something that he really had done?

"And remember when you and I were going to go get some groceries?" Naruto barged on. "You left me outside for nearly half an hour, and I thought I was going to die from heatstroke before you came out. Your cute excuse _that _time was that you had to assure your precious lady that you wouldn't let me spend all your money."

"That isn't fair, Naruto," Sasuke blurted. "There's no need to fight ov––"

"You're right, Sasuke. It's not fair. And I don't know why you can't see that. We were tight, Sasuke." Naruto sighed. "We were real close, like brothers, you know? And it's happened just like I was afraid it would. You traded your best friend for a wife, but what gets to me is that I'm the only one who regrets it."

"That's not true," Sasuke lashed back.

"So you regret it?"

Just as quickly as he had spoken, Sasuke clamped his mouth shut, his teeth clacking together. He glared at Naruto for the longest of seconds, before shoving himself up from his chair, its legs squeaking over the floor.

"No. I don't regret it."

He stalked to the front door, plucking his keys from the counter and storming out the door, not forgetting to slam it behind him. A picture on the wall rattled, dangerously close to falling. It swayed crookedly from its nail, but Naruto didn't bother to straighten it––Sasuke would be back. He had gotten angry before, but he always came slinking back.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes tiredly. He would wait.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Crushing relationships between fictional characters? No problem. It's hard to make Sasuke sassy and keep him in character at the same time.


	5. Advice

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note:** Don't you hate it when you proofread a document and fix mistakes, which takes about ten minutes, and then the Internet crashes and doesn't save it?

* * *

Pink, blue; cashmere, cotton; zippers, buttons––it was enough to make Naruto's head ache. He had never shopped for clothes before, especially not clothes for an infant. He didn't even know for sure the child's gender. But, he assumed uncertainly, colors didn't matter. A male could live happily while wearing a pink jumpsuit, and if Sasuke or his wife found Naruto's purchase unsuitable, they could return it.

Renewed by this thought, Naruto lingered near the clothes rack for a while longer, scanning the variety of garments in distress. He dropped his hand to rest on a soft pair of folded pastel blue pajamas, rubbing the material between his fingers. It would be warm in these chilly autumn nights––his resolve returning, he scooped up the outfit and stuffed it into the crook of his arm.

"Heya," he greeted, ambling toward the check-out counter. Kurenai rose from her place crouched beside the cabinet, a basket of cleaning supplies hooked over her shoulder. An expression of mingled surprise and glee flickered over her face, brightening her red eyes.

"Hello, Naruto. What's that?" She directed one manicured nail toward the rumpled pajamas beneath Naruto's arm, and he followed her gaze before laughing awkwardly.

"These aren't for me!" He flipped them onto the counter, and Kurenai stifled an unladylike snort as she unfolded them, shaking the wrinkles free.

"They're for Sasuke's baby, right?" she guessed, glancing up at Naruto for conformation. Her slim hands moved quickly, locating the price tag and sliding it over the scanner's sensor.

"Yeah." Naruto shrugged helplessly, his shoulders briefly touching his ears. "I didn't know what Sasuke wanted me to get for the kid, so I just tried to find something nice."

Kurenai's red lips curved in a mischievous grin. "The last time I heard, the baby was a boy. You were right to go with the blue."

"Man." Naruto blew a long whistle between his teeth. "It's still hard to believe, even after all these months of hearing everyone talking about it. Sasuke having a kid..."

"I understand." Kurenai nodded sedately, tucking the fleece pajamas safely into a paper bag. "I felt somewhat the same way when Kiba married and fathered a child. It was strange, in a way... I suppose it was only because I watched him grow up, and now he has a little one that he will watch into adulthood."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "It is a lot like that." He snickered suddenly, Kurenai's eyebrow raising in curiosity.

"Would you like to share something with me?" she asked steadily, offering Naruto the paper sack. He pressed his tongue against his teeth in concentration, fishing in his pocket for his frog wallet. Snagging its edge, he tugged it out, shaking free several wadded leaves of paper money.

"Well, I was just thinking," he said, his voice still low with mirth. "When we were kids, Sasuke and I promised each other that we would never get married. It was a big deal for us. We did all the big promise rituals, the hand-holding, spitting, writing names on trees, pinky-swearing, the whole kit. We were at the age where, you know, toy cars and building blocks and cutting worms in half and stuff like that was our life. Then, we thought girls were just... blegh. Dolls and makeup and kisses and never getting dirty and staying out of trouble. We didn't want anything to do with that.

"But when we were teenagers, I kind of stepped all over our special rule. I made faces at the girls and did all kinds of stupid stuff, just to get them to notice me. I always liked how they were clean and nice and pretty, everything that I'm not. Sasuke did the same thing, only less conspicuously, after he saw I wasn't afraid to. He was a big flirt, somehow without even trying. It's just kind of funny to me how we changed so much."

Kurenai hummed thoughtfully, resting her elbow on the counter and brushing away a thick clump of her dark hair. She stared ahead, as if concentrating on what Naruto had mentioned in his monologue.

"Just from listening, Naruto, I think it's been awhile since you've visited Sasuke. Hasn't it?"

Surprised, Naruto nodded. "It sure has. Well, I went to see him for a few minutes last week, but he's been on vacation, and fluttering around buying stuff for his kid, and fixing up the house. He's worse than a woman."

A faint smile played at Kurenai's mouth as she removed the heavy plastic basket from her shoulder, leaning down to place it at her feet. Once she stood, there was a businesslike glint in her eyes.

"I don't blame him," she admitted. "Having a family must mean a whole lot to him. And even if he doesn't tell you, you should probably go see him. Get in his way for a bit and ruffle his feathers, so to speak. Get him riled. The longer you stay away, the easier it will be for both of you to forget about each other."

"So what you're saying... is to make him mad like I used to?" Naruto stroked his chin, seeming pleased by Kurenai's suggestion. "That sounds fun, I guess. Maybe it'll take his mind off of the other mess I've done to him. 'Kiss and make up', as they say. Thanks, Ms. Kurenai. I'll see you later."

He said his goodbye so quickly that Kurenai was startled. He spun on his heel, the ties of his sweatband waving like small streamers behind him.

_Of course, _Kurenai mused, watching him lumber away, _advice is as good as the giver. Hopefully, Naruto and Sasuke will get over whatever squabbles they've gotten into. I've done enough free counseling between the members of my old team, as it is._

* * *

**Author's Note: **To give myself a confidence boost, I watched that new Naruto anime, the chibi Rock Lee spin-off or whatever it's called. And I feel useful again.


	6. Present

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Meh. A few more chapters to go. Then bye-bye to my writing _Naruto. _Huzzah! Also, why does this have 600 hits in three days, but no reviews? Well, whatever. At least you're reading it.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke."

Surprised by the soft words, Sasuke jerked up from his position of kneeling in the flowerbed. The absentminded glow in his eyes flattened, and his mouth fell into an emotionless line.

"Good morning."

"It is, isn't it?" Naruto contentedly rested his fist on his hip, surveying the scenery and determined to not let his irritation show. "It's warm, for being so close to winter. Nice. I like the days that feel like spring."

"You didn't come over here to chat," Sasuke interrupted rudely. He dubiously gazed at the bag Naruto held, the rope straps dangling loosely from his fingers.

"Sure didn't." Calmly, Naruto swung the small bag around, the wads of pastel blue tissue paper rustling with the rapid motion. "But you don't mind, do you?"

Silently, Sasuke repeated the question to himself. Looking up, he slightly lowered his head in a curt nod of acknowledgment.

"Not really," he admitted. "You can talk. If you want."

"I planned on doing just that." Humming lightly, Naruto tossed the bag up into the air, snatching it before it could plop to the ground. "The garden's looking pretty," he commented. "I like it. Wish I had enough room at my place for one."

"You are the one who fixed it up," Sasuke admitted, patting down a hill of cool red earth around the base of a tall rose bush. "You did a decent job, too. I told you that, didn't I?"

"Nope." Naruto watched with interest as Sasuke dug the sharp edge of a small trowel into the ground, scooping out a small area in which to pour a handful of fertilizer flakes. "You know, if you use those plant food pellets, they last longer."

With every smooth, even remark, Sasuke had to wrestle more perseveringly against the fury that swelled in his gut. Naruto was purposely toying with him, attempting to lure him out of his cautious state. Did the idiot think he didn't realize that?

"Naruto, I _know _you didn't come over to talk about nothing." Abruptly, Sasuke thrust the rounded tip of the trowel into the dirt, and patted the grains of debris from his hands. Temporarily finished with his chore, he turned to Naruto, focusing his every iota of attention on pinpointing the reason for his visit.

"Why'd you come?" he asked nastily. "You're mad at me. You know I'm upset with you. So why even bother?"

Taken aback by this display of hostility, Naruto recoiled. "Gee, Sasuke. You don't have to snap at me like that. Can't a man come visit his friend every once a year?"

"It hasn't been a year," Sasuke sulked.

"I know, too bad, right?" Unsympathetically, Naruto pinched the straps of the paper bag between his fingers and dropped it into Sasuke's unprepared arms.

"That's just a present," he explained. "For your kid... whenever it decides to pop out."

Dumbfounded, Sasuke stared at the gift that lay across his spread arms. A multicolored ribbon had been sloppily tied onto the handle, and a small note fluttered in the wind. Sasuke squinted to decipher the familiar scratch-like penmanship: _Something for your kid. Hope he doesn't turn out too much like you!_

When Sasuke looked up, having finally squelched his pride enough to mutter out a "thank you", Naruto was gone. Sasuke watched blankly as he fled down the driveway, his hair whipping back in the wind and the sleeves of his sweater hiding his hands as he flailed.

Shaking his head in mock disgust, Sasuke hefted the small bag over his shoulder and meandered toward the house. He would look at it later, he resolved, as the tightness in his chest relaxed.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope to finish this so I will have it over. I'm not that into Naruto anymore.


	7. Temporary Make Up

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Longest chapter so far, I guess. I have only a vague idea of what I should be doing right now.

* * *

The baby revealed itself to the world at four 'o' clock on a wet, misty, stormy Friday night.

Having been lulled to sleep by the rhythmic pattering of raindrops against the rooftop, Naruto was in the midst of a pleasant dream. With the pillow pressed against his head, he was almost certain he was dreaming of squishing a woman's bosom to his face. It was inevitable that the phone would ring just as he opened his mouth to sigh gustily.

"What'n'the...gnngh..." Sputtering in disbelief, Naruto attempted to sort through the hazy muddle that clogged his mind, and flopped over the thin mattress to grope for the telephone that rested on his bedside table.

"Hullo... this's Nar'to 'zumaki," he muttered groggily. "Can't come to the phone righ' now, so jus' leave me a short message after the..."

"Naruto!" Tsunade's sharp voice shot into Naruto's ear, dissolving his drowsiness and curling his toes. "Get yourself down to the hospital. _Now_."

Horrified by the idea of rushing out into the rain on his bicycle, Naruto groaned loudly into the mouthpiece, the noise disconcerting enough to make Tsunade cringe.

"Aw, Granny," he mumbled thickly. "I can't come. I'm sleepy, an' it's still dark. Don't want to."

"Okay." Tsunade surprised Naruto by her lack of resistance. "You can go back to sleep. But if you don't come see Sasuke's kid, _he'll _be the one to roast you, not me."

Naruto nearly choked on his shock, coughing as tears flooded his reddened eyes. "Sasuke?" he croaked hoarsely. "The kid? She had the baby? Sasuke's a dad?"

"Yes, yes, yes, and again, yes."

"Is Sasuke the one who wanted me over?" Eagerly, Naruto clutched the telephone, as if it would join him in his joy. But Tsunade's reluctance in answering made him slowly lean back against the headboard of his cot, staring ahead in dense confusion.

"Sasuke is, understandably, very excited," Tsunade finally said. "He didn't mention you... but I'm sure he would have thought of it later."

"Oh. So he didn't invite me?" Uncomfortably, Naruto twirled the coiled cord of the phone around his forefinger, nervousness making his heart pulse against his ribs. He swallowed, an odd sense of fear piling in his stomach.

"No, he didn't."

Begrudgingly, Naruto glared down at the corner of his quilt. "I wouldn't want to intrude on anything."

"That's what you live for," Tsunade reminded bluntly. "Now if you don't want to come down here, I'm coming to get you."

Weighing his choices, Naruto dropped his chin to rest in his cupped palm. "Fine," he huffed. "I'll be down in twenty minutes."

"Good." And with that brisk farewell, Tsunade snapped her cellular phone shut with a click, leaving Naruto listening lonesomely to the droning beep of an ended call. Tiredly, he leaned over, dropping his own phone onto its cradle carelessly. The rain still drummed forcefully on the roof and windowpanes, and he really was not looking forward to traveling those two miles to the hospital.

He blearily swung his legs over the edge of the bed, a yawn interrupting his breath. He curved his back into a stretch, and feeling looser, he shoved away from the bed and prowled the cluttered room for his jacket. He pulled it from the coat rack, struggling into it and zipping it up to his chin. As he dragged himself past the closet, he hooked his finger beneath the handle of his umbrella, resting it against his shoulder.

"I guess I'd rather go sit around the waitin' room and suffer Sasuke's ugly old glares than be strangled by Granny." Sighing, he slipped his feet into his worn sneakers and ducked out the door, a violent explosion of lightning greeting him menacingly. He glanced about warily before opening his umbrella, the metal ribs spreading above his head to shield him with the yellow sheet of nylon. Fat drops of rain slapped against his exposed skin and the top of the umbrella, the sound almost deafening as he clambered onto his bicycle.

The rubber grips of the handlebars were slick and difficult to grasp. Naruto awkwardly tucked the umbrella beneath his arm as he attempted to push himself ahead for momentum, but the wind bolted into the umbrella and dragged it askew. Before Naruto could slam his heels into the ground and tighten his grip, the umbrella was jerked from his arms by the gust and dragged skittering across the driveway.

Naruto stared after it, its silhouette barely discernible in the heavy darkness. Rain pelted his head, soaking his hair and pasting it to his scalp, but a storm much worse was raging in his mind.

* * *

By the time Naruto arrived at the hospital, he was trembling with both anger and cold. His clothes had become drenched on the way, and he was certain that he now contained numerous gallons of rain water on his person. He dismounted his bicycle before he even parked it, and it coasted several yards before being forcibly halted by the hospital's brick wall.

He hastily stalked inside the hospital, relieved to enter the lobby. Though it stank of saline and disinfectants, he gave a silent word of gratitude for the warmth and dryness. A trail of water droplets followed him as he paced to the elevator, every step in his sopping shoes sending a resounding _squeelch _through the room.

A soft chiming signaling the arrival of the elevator. The doors slowly slid open, and Naruto edged inside, tucking his hands into his pockets and idly shifting his weight from side to side in a soothing rocking motion. The elevator rose with a barely noticeable tug, and smoothly ascended to the upper floors. Naruto's eyelids felt weighed down by the raindrops clinging to his lashes, and he sleepily stumbled out as the elevator stopped, pulling its doors open to allow him freedom.

"Naruto!" Not granting him enough time to tiredly dodge out of her reach, Tsunade darted forward, her long hospital robe fluttering around her knees.

"You look half dead," she commented frankly. "You'll be fine. The Uchiha's in there with the baby, but the girl's still getting her vitals monitored."

She lashed out her arm, pointing her finger toward a closed oaken door. "Don't bother them too much. Say hi, tell him the kid's cute, and then get out. No disruptions."

Startled by the barrage of orders, Naruto frowned. "Okay."

"Don't take long. I'll come back there in a few minutes." Tsunade swiftly bustled away, her long tails of blonde hair swirling behind her like silk ribbons. Naruto watched her dumbly for a moment, before gathering the will to amble into Sasuke's room. He really didn't want to see him, especially without being asked. He vaguely wondered how he would feel if Sasuke stepped ruthlessly on his privacy.

Closing his eyes in resolve, he rested his hand on the door, feeling the cool wood. His fingers drifted down to the chilly metal handle, and he held his breath, twisting his wrist. The door opened with a soft click, and Naruto slipped in, an unwanted figure protruding painfully in the happy scene.

From his place seated on the edge of the cot, Sasuke glanced up, his flushed face immediately lifting in an expression of bemusement. Huddled in his arms was an unmistakable bundle of white towels and sheets, and as Naruto curiously came closer, Sasuke lowered his head, his long bangs swishing along the sides of his cheeks.

"H...hey." Naruto dared to break the silence, speaking softly as he gingerly lowered himself to the bed beside Sasuke. The mattress flattened beneath his weight, causing Sasuke to accidentally tilt closer. His shoulder knocked against Naruto's, and they both gazed at the floor, pretending the contact had gone unnoticed.

Naruto was certain he had visually traced every line in the linoleum flooring by the time Sasuke returned his greeting. His voice was quiet and startlingly husky as he answered, "Hi."

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto asked no questions about how the labor had proceeded, or what he and his wife planned to name their child. Naruto didn't even attempt to hook his finger beneath the blankets to pull them away in order to see the slumbering infant's face. Somehow, this comforted Sasuke more than anything––just knowing that Naruto was stepping aside to give him space, without prodding or prying.

Sasuke hugged the clumsy papoose to his chest, his arms quivering with the movement. The single tremor did not escape Naruto's scrutiny, and he twisted his torso around to peer searchingly at Sasuke.

"How are you, Sasuke?" he asked. "How are you _really_ doing?"

This one simple inquiry stabbed Sasuke's very core. It stung more than a thousand nosy remarks. It reminded him that, no matter how viciously he attacked his everyday life, everything wasn't the same as it had been. The times had shifted into something entirely different than he was accustomed to, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had left Naruto behind––and perhaps, Naruto thought the same as he.

Mistranslating his refusal to reply as sulking, Naruto impulsively slid his strong fingers against Sasuke's cheek, pushing his hand beneath his veil of thick bangs. Carefully, he lifted the mass of dull strands, his calloused fingertips rough and hard against Sasuke's skin. With Sasuke's features now visible and not hidden behind his curtain of hair, Naruto saw with shock that a sheen of moisture glazed his narrow eyes.

"Sasuke?" With forced gentleness, Naruto pulled on Sasuke's bangs in the same teasing manner a remorsefully playful puppy would show toward one he had offended. "You okay?"

"Of course," Sasuke snorted. He jerked his hand up, rubbing his knuckle over his closed eyelid to act as if the tears had never touched his eyes. He returned his arm to its position of supporting his sleeping infant's blanketed body, and he sucked in a long, deep breath that was punctuated by an unintentional sniffle.

Sympathetically, Naruto grasped Sasuke's shoulder, squeezing briefly in a consoling gesture. "I... I probably should have stayed in bed, but I wanted to come down so you... so you'd know I still want to be a part of your family. And that I don't want to ignore you." He stopped, and chewed on the inside of his cheek before continuing. "I... should get going before Granny comes back to throttle me."

The humor fell flat, and Naruto stood up, the bed creaking. Sasuke said nothing for a long moment, but just as Naruto had gone halfway out the door, he looked up.

"Come here."

Naruto paused, lingering in the doorway before turning back. "Yeah?" A quizzical flash brightened his eyes, and Sasuke nodded curtly. Naruto crept closer, almost cautiously, and as if presenting a gift, Sasuke slightly extended his arms.

"You can hold her," he offered quietly.

In disbelief, Naruto regarded Sasuke's expression. Sasuke stared at the bundled infant, not meeting Naruto's gaze. There was a rueful glow about his face that could only be interpreted as a paternal warmth.

A grin wobbling around his mouth, Naruto accepted the baby. Her weight was little, and he gently cradled her to his chest. It felt so odd to have an infant in his arms. She was soft and delicate, traits that Naruto had never really been exposed to. All his acquaintances were rowdy and loud, and he felt almost as if he were in a sort of surreal universe, holding something so helpless and beautiful.. He didn't realize he had been staring at the baby for so long when Sasuke discreetly coughed.

"She doesn't look anything like me," Sasuke said, his voice barely a whisper, as if he feared shattering Naruto's peaceful calmness. "Or her mother."

"She's pretty," Naruto murmured. A fine layer of wispy dark hair covered the infant's large head, and her face was round and pink. "I bet she has black eyes, like you."

"She might. Someday."

"Wait." An idea struck Naruto, and he knit his eyebrows in confusion. "I bought blue pajamas. I thought you were having a boy!"

Sasuke's tentative smile made him appear almost childlike. "So did we. The doctors told us from the sonogram that it was a boy."

Naruto snorted out a scoffing laugh, jostling the baby. "So they said she was a boy? If the baby's naked up in there, I don't see what she had that they mistook for a––"

Before the conversation could nosedive into stupidity, Sasuke swiftly interrupted Naruto. "Blue pajamas are fine. I'm sure she'll love them."

Reluctantly, Naruto eased the infant back into Sasuke's outspread arms. "I guess it's getting pretty late. You should probably rest."

Naruto reached out, curling his fingers around the side of Sasuke's neck. Sasuke flinched, but nodded unwillingly. "I'll sit down or whatever. You just go home. Everyone knows what a pill you are when you don't get a full fifteen hours of sleep."

"And everyone knows how catty you are even when you do get up from hibernation." Naruto rolled his eyes in an exaggerated way, but giddiness burrowed into the back of his skull. It had been too long since he last had an affectionate bout of bickering with Sasuke, and that fact alone made all the hot anger and depression in his stomach melt away.

"I'll see you later, then," he said agreeably, wishing he could stay all night, or perhaps even the entire week. "Maybe... maybe I can come visit you later. Mr. Daddy," he added, smiling as Sasuke raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"Maybe," Sasuke replied nonchalantly. "But... thanks, Naruto." His tone become solemn and deep as he stared up into Naruto's chiseled face. "Thanks for coming."

"That's a first," Naruto commented. But he too lost the trace of mirth, and stood gazing distantly into Sasuke's hollow eyes.

"You're welcome."

And leaving his words to hang heavily in the atmosphere, Naruto left.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Naruto and Sasuke may have made up, but that doesn't mean Sasuke's wife isn't going to add her own two cents to the matter. I found a good excuse for not mentioning the identity of his wife: because Naruto sees her as a threat and he's still somewhat denying the fact that Sasuke is married, Sasuke's wife seems distant and surreal. Cool, huh? Yeah, I wish it was.


	8. While the Wife's Away

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I apologize for the delayed update. I have been out of town for the past week. I mean, the boonies out of town. The boonies where, when you have to _go_, you _go_ through the woods to find an outhouse. There is no Internet there. Most of my relatives there think Internet is a new species of lemur.

* * *

It was all so odd. It surpassed Naruto's ability to comprehend, and he resented Sasuke for it.

How could Sasuke love his newborn daughter with such a passion? He hadn't even been expecting a girl. For months, he had agonized over preparing for a son, perfecting every detail of his child's room and continually flitting about to remove all potential danger from the infant's eye level. He had purchased piles of clothes, all expensive, all suggesting masculinity. Sasuke had spent so much time anticipating a son––and instead, he had received a daughter.

And somehow, he didn't seem upset. He never hinted that he felt slighted or cheated by the matter. In fact, he had not even mentioned any disappointment to Naruto. Sasuke was perfectly content with holding a tiny girl in his arms––how could that be? How could he be happy, when he hadn't gotten what he wanted?

_I know he wanted a boy_, Naruto thought weakly, clinging to his anger. _He wanted a boy to teach karate. He wanted a boy to play baseball with and to take fishing. _I _wanted him to have a boy, so we could all go skating and hunting and out for hamburgers. I wanted all three of us to go to football games. _

Dejectedly, Naruto rolled over on his bed, the mattress sinking beneath him as he tugged his knees up to his chest. He knew it was selfish of him to think in such a manner, and despite his attempts at stifling his mounting rage, he could not curb his disgust. The longer he remained motionless, tangled in his blankets, the more furious he became with Sasuke.

Sasuke had committed a shameless act of betrayal. It was melodramatic of Naruto, but he couldn't refrain from thinking of Sasuke in that way. It could not be denied that Sasuke had indeed pushed him aside, and now, Naruto realized that it hadn't even been for a believable reason.

_He dropped me for a girl. _Naruto sighed, sliding his arms beneath his pillow and burying his face in its softness. A flash of realization pulsed through his mind, and he clenched his fingers into the loose pillowcase. _He dropped me for a girl. Twice. _

He had gotten over it the first time. When Sasuke had married, Naruto finally managed to overlook the new relationship. But just as he forgot about how he had been forced to accept a new member of Sasuke's family, he was again nudged forward to welcome _this _new Uchiha, as well.

"It's not _fair!_" he said aloud. He paused, listening to how his words rang in the silence. They left a pleasant flavor on his tongue; the flavor of relief. Tentatively, he licked the inside of his cheek, preparing to repeat the new phrase.

"It's not fair."

A sense of satisfaction permeated his stomach.

"It's not fair."

The weight pressing against his heart gave way, relaxing and allowing him to breathe without restriction.

"It's not _fair._"

It was true. What Sasuke had done to him was not fair, in the most basic of terms. But now that the clouds of trouble had manifested double-fold in the sky of his life, Naruto had two choices. He could either accept Sasuke's decision, or continue denying it––the more Naruto pondered, the greater the clarity of the situation became. He wouldn't be happy no matter what he chose to do.

He rolled over, the bed springs squeaking with the motion. What was he to do, then? His determination crumbled as he held in a shuddering sigh, squeezing his fists against his sides.

_What am I gonna do now?_

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke."

Sheepishly grinning, Naruto peered around the edge of the open door. His eyes crinkled at the corners in an expression of nervous happiness, and he kept his voice low.

"G'morning." Sasuke lifted his forefinger to his lips, silently signaling for Naruto to remain quiet. "It's just me and the baby today, so I thought you'd like to come over for a little while. You know... since I haven't invited you much lately."

"Where's the kid?" Naruto whispered, his hard blue eyes darting to and fro searchingly.

"She's asleep upstairs in our bedroom." Sasuke pointed to the ceiling for emphasis. "It took forever for her to settle down."

"Oh. I'll try to keep quiet, then."

"See that you do." A hint of his old harsh sarcasm returning, Sasuke sauntered into the kitchen toward the refrigerator. Opening it, he examined its contents for cans of soda; upon discovering two cans in the back, hidden behind a bowl of leftover salad, he extracted them with difficulty. Tossing a can toward Naruto, he cracked open the tab of his own soda, taking a long swallow of the icy sweetness.

"Thanks," Naruto said softly, not opening his drink. He stared down at it, pressing his fingertip against the can's metal top.

"We only had a couple left," Sasuke said by way of explanation. "I meant to go out to the grocery store later."

"No, not for the drink." Naruto shook his head, his almost-yellow forelock flipping over his forehead. "I was talking about you letting me come over today."

Surprised, Sasuke paused with the rim of the cola can tipped against his mouth. He slowly lowered it, watching Naruto steadily, his shiny black eyes flat and questioning.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Naruto gave a tentative smile. "I didn't much think you would ask me over, what with having a new baby and all."

He took Sasuke's silence as encouragement, and somewhat energized, he continued. He leaned over, resting his elbows on the counter for balance as he stretched to get closer to Sasuke.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, "a few nights ago I was thinking."

"There's a first time for all things," Sasuke reasoned, attempting to lighten the somber mood.

"Oh, shut up." Naruto grinned, proving the sour words had been only in jest. "And stop interrupting me. Anyway, I was thinking about you and your family. I was kind of mad about you having a baby and all, 'cause it happened right after I thought I was over you getting married. I found out that I'm not quite over it yet."

"So you're still angry." Sasuke pensively gazed at the wall, his jaw hollowing as he chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"I guess I am, too," he said finally. "Angry, that is. About you being childish over this whole thing."

Frowning slightly, Naruto made no move to challenge Sasuke's statement. Displaying a new meekness, he tilted his head forward until it rested against Sasuke's temple, his uncut bangs falling over his brow and mingling with Sasuke's dark fringe.

"I kind of sensed you were mad," he admitted. "Aw, I didn't sense it, I _knew _it. It was pretty obvious. But I don't blame you for it, pal. I think we've both been brats lately."

"You can call yourself whatever you want, but don't pin labels on me." Sasuke snorted, jostling Naruto, and he involuntarily stiffened his shoulders against the contact. Relaxing an instant later, he glanced down at his can of soda, absentmindedly fiddling with the upright tab.

Moving away, Naruto cupped his chin in his rough palms, sighing. "I'm sort of selfish sometimes. That's been my problem lately, you know. I wanted to keep my friend––that's you––to myself. I didn't want to share. But then I got to thinking about other stuff."

"Like what?"

"Like how, when we met, I was pretty much at level zero in terms of friends. That's why I stuck to you, I suppose. You were my only friend for a while there, and, out of all of them, you're the one that means most to me. You were there when no one else was. Now, I'm doing okay. I have plenty of buddies and a great job, no worries. But now there's someone who needs you more than I do."

Sasuke stared down at his stockinged feet, his expression neutral. Even though he gave no sign of emotion physically, Naruto felt a welcome surge of warmth. He knew Sasuke understood.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I don't know why I love to ham up the corniest parts. It's a bad habit I'm trying to break.


	9. Sharing Sunlight

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **To make up for my late update, here is an early one. The story is drawing to a close, and I realize with embarrassment that I forgot to add a real plot. Mostly this is just scenes of a fading relationship. It feels amazing to write something without NaruSasu in it. I deeply regret and am mortified by the many times I cursed the archives and my readers with stories of a manly Naruto and a sissy Sasuke. I've honestly been trying lately to keep my male characters entirely male. With the exception of James, of course.

* * *

"Go! Go! _Go!_" Naruto leaped from the couch, soda sloshing from his can and dripping down his brawny forearm in sticky brown rivulets. He seemed to not notice; his attention was riveted to the television screen, on which the live baseball game flickered.

"Go!" he squawked, bouncing up and down angrily. "Argh––run to third, run to third! You can _run_, princess! Or are you scared you'll get your skirt dirty? You _idiot_! You call that a slide? The grade-school playground has a better one than you do! Argh!"

Naruto clenched the fingers of his free hand into his hair, tugging in a fit of exasperation.

"I think Naruto Uzumaki needs to settle down," Sasuke drawled sarcastically. Though he scolded Naruto, he was just as focused on the television––he seemed almost in a trance, as if sending his favored team a telepathic message to win.

"Awesome," Naruto interjected suddenly. "This guy couldn't hit a bucket if someone put it on the ground in front of him. This should be real good. Your team is mincemeat, Sasuke."

He fell back on the sofa beside Sasuke, stretching his legs comfortably. The sound of a baseball bat cracking against the hide of a ball blared through the television speakers, and Sasuke smirked proudly, almost as if he himself had made the hit.

"You're crazy!" Naruto nearly scrambled to his feet again, but Sasuke smoothly extended his arm, closing his strong fingers around Naruto's sleeve.

"I think you're going to hyperventilate if you keep this up," he said patiently. "Just keep still and watch, will you? You're even making me jittery."

"Fine, fine." Naruto grumbled as he sat down, but unable to remain completely motionless, began to tap his foot against the carpet. He leaned over, pressing his elbows to his knees as he stared at the bright screen.

"I still think your team is mincemeat," he couldn't resist adding. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but agreeably bent into the curve of the cushion and draped his arm over the back of the sofa.

"I won't say anything about yours," he replied testily, "but––"

"Shh." Naruto raised his finger, hushing Sasuke. His brows lowered in an expression of bemusement, and he squinted curiously. "Do you hear that?"

"No." Just as confused, Sasuke fumbled for the remote control, extending his arm and flipping the switch to mute the television. When it went silent, the disconcerting noise of a baby howling became clearly distinguishable.

Sasuke sighed wearily, dropping his chin against his collarbone. "There she goes again."

He turned off the television and pushed himself away from the couch, trekking through the parlor and up the stairs. Every step creaked beneath his weight, and as Naruto watched him, he was struck by the realization of how tired Sasuke seemed.

"I can get her if you want," Naruto called, though his offer obviously came too late. Sasuke's voice sank into Naruto's ears: "It's no problem. You'd probably scare her, anyway."

When Sasuke returned awhile later, the infant had not calmed down. Her tiny face contorted in a grimace as she squealed, the sound so high-pitched that Naruto feared his eardrums would split. Sasuke nervously cradled her, holding out his finger to poke lightly at her chin.

"She gets like this," he explained curtly. "Sometimes she'll cry for hours."

"She okay?" Naruto asked, standing up. He padded behind Sasuke, reaching over his shoulder to gently rub his knuckle against the baby's foot. Almost instantly, she ceased in her strangled sobbing, and stared with wide pale eyes at Naruto's large hand.

"Huh." Sasuke clicked his tongue against his teeth in surprise. "You made her quit."

"Of course I did," Naruto huffed. "I do radiate this natural charm. I just happen to attract small children and animals."

"Just like a piece of rotting meat," Sasuke observed. He ignored Naruto's sharp glare, lightly bouncing the baby in his arms.

"Great, then," he announced abruptly, certain that the baby would not begin another round of deafening shrieks. "You hold her for a while. I'll go fix a pot of hot milk for her. We can have tea or something."

"Sounds good to me." Naruto scooped the baby up, holding her close to his chest and laughing lightly. She waved her fat, short fingers excitedly, almost as if bidding her father an overly cheerful farewell.

"You don't have to be so happy about it," Sasuke said in a tone of mock accusation. He smiled briefly before ducking into the kitchen, and Naruto listened to him clatter around banging pots against the stove.

"Your dad is a kook," he whispered affectionately to the baby, making sure that his mumbling would be drowned out by the racket from the kitchen. "A crazy, depressed, psychopath kook––but a lovable one."

The tiny girl cooed with glee, her eyes glittering, and Naruto bit his lip to muffle a snicker. He pinched the edge of her jumper collar between his fingers, teasingly tweaking it.

"Girlie, your personality is better than your daddy's," he informed brightly. "All sunshiny and cheery. How about I call you Yoko? You'll like that, huh?"

"Yoko?" Sasuke repeated, stepping in while wiping his hands on a wrinkled towel. Startled, Naruto stood upright, sheepishly regarding Sasuke's questioning expression.

"Yeah... Yoko. You know. It means sunlight."

"Child of sunlight," Sasuke corrected. "And she already has a name."

"I know that," Naruto said indignantly. "But I thought she needed a nickname. One that fits her."

"How does that fit her?" Sasuke arched a thin eyebrow, clearly expecting a satisfactory answer. Suddenly uneasy, Naruto balanced the baby in one arm, using his free hand to scrub his fingers into the back of his neck.

"Um... well, I don'no. Maybe she's all the sunshine you have left. You gave all yours to her and your wife, and now the kid's kind of like all your happiness incarnated. All your sunshine is in her, now... I guess."

Although Naruto's babbling seemed hardly the perfect way to give his reason for the nickname, Sasuke felt a surge of astonishment that Naruto actually was capable of presenting deep, philosophical replies. And that simple name––_Yoko––_had given him much to think about.

"Sasuke!" The front door creaked open and slammed back shut, and the sound of spiked heels clicking across the parlor's tile floor sent an odd, crinkly chill slithering up Naruto's spine.

"Sasuke, I thought you were going to put the leftovers in the oven," the familiar feminine voice called. Apologetically, Sasuke turned to Naruto, prepared to convince him to stay in spite of his wife's unexpected appearance; quickly, Naruto dumped Yoko into Sasuke's broad arms and spun around.

"Naruto, you don't have to leave," he said quietly, almost beseeching. His eyes seemed flat and hollow, matching the frown that he weakly tightened his lips against. But just as quickly as the words left his mouth, he attempted to cover his unusual softness.

"Whatever," he muttered. "You should probably go home. We don't have enough food for an extra guest, anyway."

"I know." Naruto stretched forward, cuffing Sasuke's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "I'll see you later. I'm glad you let me come over to see you and Yoko."

"And you'll come again. Right?"

Naruto grinned, his cheeks curving. "Right."

He didn't realize that promises couldn't always be kept.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yoko isn't really an OC, but I don't have in mind what _Naruto _character she is, either. Yoko is merely a nickname that Naruto gave her. Her real name won't be mentioned, for the same reason as Sasuke's wife. You may decide who she is, since her role isn't that great. I'm trying to focus solely on Sasuke and Naruto.


	10. Spilling Secrets

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Man, I just realized how much I don't like Sasuke right now. But I feel sorry for the guy. He's being bad. But keep in mind that everything Naruto sees is exaggerated, as this is in his point of view. Since he's focused on his problems, everything seems dreary and hopeless.

Why is it that I write such depressing things when I'm such a happy kid? Well, the next chapter will be out soon, and after that one, it'll be only one or two more. Hurray, it's almost the end...

* * *

Just when Naruto believed himself to be doing fairly well, in terms of living with the fact that Sasuke now had a family, his confidence shattered.

He had met _her. _It had been an accident––he had timidly crept to the front door, not noticing any sign of the Uchiha's sleek truck anywhere. He tapped his knuckles lightly against the door, listening to the hollow echo and awaiting the sound of feet padding through the hall.

When the door swung open, Naruto was astonished to discover himself staring dumbly into the glaring eyes of an unwelcoming woman. Sasuke's wife––clad in a terrycloth robe with her hair clipped in a bun to her head, Naruto assumed that she had remained home to care for the baby. But she didn't invite him in with that same forgiving nature Sasuke showed; she had irately told Naruto, her voice cold, that she had no time for him.

_Isn't that just how everything's been lately, _he bitterly thought as he walked aimlessly, following the unending trail of the curb. _No one I love seems to have time for me now. They've all grown up, and I'm the only one left behind. _

To calm himself, he urged his gait into a loping jog that rattled his very innards. He didn't bother to bypass the large yellowish puddle of old rainwater that loomed before him. He exerted more effort into running, and he sloshed directly through the middle, icy water splashing like frozen bullets against his legs. His wet sneakers clapped against the sidewalk as he raced past the insurance office, but he ignored the friendly wave Kin sent him.

He had no idea of where he wanted to go. He just wanted––_needed_––to run, to feel as if he were escaping the oppressing problems that mocked him every day. He relished the adrenaline that gurgled through his nerves, coating his senses and dulling him to misery.

He never slowed his pace. His legs became blurs of color as he sped past, the scenery lost to his unfocused gray eyes. His muscles coiled and slackened, launching him forward in meter-long strides. He didn't think of whether or not any passerby would think him odd for running, his legs soaked and his hair dripping cold beads of perspiration over his lashes.

He watched as his labored breath emerged from between his lips in soft white clouds. In his depressed state, he could not fully appreciate the beauty of the late winter––all he saw was his breath, the condensed moist haze, strangely, reminding him of the relationship he shared with Sasuke.

It had been there, whole and perfect, like the tiny cloud. But it only was fleeting, as an instant later, it dissipated, becoming lost in the cold world.

_I shouldn't be thinking like that, _Naruto realized, his throat tight and stinging from exertion. _I should be happy. Isn't that what it's all about? Doing things at the expense of yourself? Just to make sure others are happy, even if you aren't? Even if I'm not happy, I should at least be glad that Sasuke is. But I'm not even totally sure that's he's as content as he says... because it's been a long time since I've seen him smile._

* * *

"Are you there, Naruto? It's Sasuke. I need to come over for a minute."

Naruto tightened his fingers around the curve of the phone's mouthpiece, inhaling slowly with disbelief. Almost suspiciously, he frowned, stroking his tongue against the back of his teeth contemplatively.

"You want to come over now?" he asked dubiously. "Why? I... kind of needed to get some stuff done for work."

"So I can't come?" Despite there being no detectable hint of a whimper or any remorse in Sasuke's low voice, Naruto quickly apologized for his rash reply.

"Of course you can," he said hastily, regretting how he had nearly dismissed Sasuke's decision to visit. "Actually, I'd love it if you came. It's been a few weeks since I've seen you."

"Alright. I'll be over soon, then." Sasuke sounded relieved in a way that made a heat sear Naruto's eyes. Waveringly, Naruto cupped the telephone closer, as if cradling it would satisfy his craving to soothingly touch Sasuke.

"I can make us lunch," he offered, coughing lightly to hide how his words crackled in the suffocating atmosphere. "I'll... I'll go out and buy a bag of takeout sushi. I won't cook, I promise."

"That would be nice," Sasuke said quietly. "It'll be good to eat somewhere else... with someone else."

"Is everything okay, Sasuke?" Naruto blurted, surrendering to impulse. "I mean, I know I've said it before. But tell me the truth. What's happening?"

There buzzed in his ears a silence so heavy that Naruto wondered if Sasuke had hung up. But at last, he heard the dull puff of Sasuke's glum sigh.

"It's really none of your business, and it's rude of you to ask me about it, but..." He said nothing more, and Naruto correctly interpreted his lack of talkativeness as relent.

"You'll tell me, won't you, Sas'?" Naruto said hopefully, wincing slightly even as he used the affectionate nickname. "Maybe I can help."

Sasuke's farewell burned itself into Naruto's mind: "Some things you shouldn't butt into. Just leave it, okay?"

* * *

When Naruto coasted into the driveway with a large plastic bag dangling from the handlebars of his bicycle, he noticed that a dim light glowed from the kitchen window. Mildly alarmed, he dismounted his bicycle, hooking the toe of his sneaker beneath the kickstand and balancing the bicycle upright. He snatched the heavy bag containing the cartons of take-out sushi, slinging it carelessly over his shoulder.

Loping to the porch, he squinted through the window curiously. The curtains ruffled in the soft breeze, sending gray shadows swirling across the side of the house. Cautiously, Naruto gripped the doorknob, twisting it and wincing at the loud click. Tentatively, he peeked around the slit between the door and its frame––seated at the dining table with his back toward Naruto, Sasuke idly slouched against the cushioned headrest of a chair.

"Sasuke?" Relieved, Naruto shoved the door open, strolling in and dropping the bag of sushi on the table. A glare narrowed his eyes into squints, and he frowned as Sasuke twisted around to watch him.

"Hi." Sasuke's eyes focused on the fast-food label that fluttered from the side of the bag.

"How did you get in?" Naruto demanded, ignoring Sasuke's greeting. "I locked the door, and I know you didn't crawl through the window."

A small smirk lifted the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "Of course I didn't. You gave me a house key. Don't you remember?"

"You kept it?" Naruto rubbed his knuckle against his chin thoughtfully, stroking the prickly ends of yellow stubble. "I didn't think you would keep it... I thought you gave it back to me a few months ago."

"No," Sasuke admitted. "I didn't give it back. I knew I'd need it again."

The conversation waned, and uncomfortably, Naruto pushed the bag of sushi across the tabletop toward Sasuke. "Here," he offered. "I bought two different kinds, and a carton of teriyaki and rice."

Sasuke slipped his finger through the handle of the bag, pulling it open to peer inside. "You aren't feeding an army," he reminded, impressed by the numerous cartons of hot food. "I better not have to owe you anything."

"No way. You don't owe me a thing," Naruto said vehemently, shaking his head. "You coming over is payment enough. Get out some chopsticks and bowls, and we'll eat. Okay?"

"Okay." Willingly, Sasuke rose from his seat, padding to the cupboards and raiding them for dinnerware. Removing two plates and two pairs of chopsticks, he returned to the table and deposited them in front of Naruto.

"That does look good," Sasuke reluctantly said, his tongue growing moist at the sight of the large rolls of sushi. "And I haven't had teriyaki in a long time."

"You better relish it, pal, because that right there cost me an arm and a leg." Naruto peeled away the tin foil wrapping from the top of the bowl, gratefully inhaling the sweet, pungent aroma of the teriyaki sauce.

"You want to dole out the eats while I get drinks?" Not truly giving Sasuke the choice, Naruto went to the refrigerator, tugging the door open and raiding its shelves for sodas. Settling for two bottles of water, he extracted them from the clutter and tossed one toward Sasuke.

"Man, it's been a long time since we've been together like this," Naruto said, a sigh rippling his words. He yanked a chair closer, plopping into it heavily and stretching out his legs, his muscles tightening and sending pleasant tingles through his calves. The heels of his sneakers squeaked against the floor, and he grinned contentedly.

"It has been awhile," Sasuke agreed. "But that's sort of why I came over... and it's what I wanted to talk to you about, too."

"What's that mean?" asked Naruto warily. He unscrewed the cap of his water bottle, tipping it against his lips and draining the container in a few long swallows. The cord of his throat jerked with the greedy gulps, and he lowered the bottle to hold it between his knees, smearing the stray droplets from his mouth with the back of his hand.

Uneasily, Sasuke pinched his set of chopsticks between his fingers, adjusting them enough to close their blunt tips over a clump of white rice that had fallen from a slice of sushi. He raised them to his lips, carefully scraping his teeth against the side of the chopsticks and chewing the rice sedately.

"Sasuke." Naruto straightened his posture, shifting his weight in the chair to scoot it closer to the table. Reaching over, he clapped his hands against the sides of Sasuke's bowl and pulled it away, suffering Sasuke's irate accusing glare.

"Sasuke, you aren't eating a bite until you tell me what's up." Solemnly, Naruto covered the bowl of teriyaki and fumbled to place it inside the bag. Disappointed, but not enough to vocalize it, Sasuke folded his chopsticks in a paper napkin. Every motion was deliberate, as if he were pondering how to begin.

"Naruto... all you need to hear is that things haven't been going well. Don't pry, alright?" Sasuke stared down at his hands, rubbing his thumbs together listlessly. Perplexed, Naruto pushed himself closer, showing that he was prepared to listen to whatever Sasuke wished to say but couldn't.

"Come on. You _know _there isn't anything you can't tell me." Such a bright glint of honest sincerity filled Naruto's eyes that Sasuke immediately felt all his guilt melt away. Drained of the tightness that squeezed his stomach, Sasuke slumped against the back of his chair.

"Well, where do I start?" Sasuke laughed humorlessly, startling Naruto by his bitterness. "My wife accuses me of having relationships behind her back, not caring about my baby, staying gone all the time, and being around my best friend too much. Other than that, I'd say everything's just fine."

In a fit of anger, Naruto lashed out, grabbing Sasuke's collar and yanking roughly on it. Sasuke stiffened instinctively, leaning backwards to pull away.

"Sasuke, don't you dare," Naruto said, forcing the words from between his gritted teeth. "Don't you dare pull this act with me."

"What act?" Sasuke asked, feigning ignorance.

"This. This little 'tough' show you have going on." Frustrated, Naruto released his grip on Sasuke's collar, huffily slinging his arms across his chest and sinking lower in his seat.

"Ever since... well, for a long time," Naruto corrected himself, "you've been pretty distant. You don't need to feel scared of telling me. Look, we barely have time to talk together anymore, so don't worry that anything you can say will take us farther apart. And if it's so terrible that it makes me cry or run away, you can always deny you said it."

"What?" The slightest of smiles played at the corner of Sasuke's lips, but he soon lost the vague expression and resumed frowning thoughtfully.

"What I'm saying is you can tell me everything. And I won't think any less of you for it." Naruto comfortingly hooked the crook of his arm around Sasuke's shoulders, pulling him closer and jostling him as if to shake away his anxiety.

Sighing in defeat, Sasuke pushed Naruto's heavy arm away and adjusted himself in the chair, crossing his ankles beneath the table. He rested his elbow on the table, holding his chin in his palm and staring tiredly at Naruto.

"Things have been happening at home," he said quietly. "Things that probably aren't even my fault. It's hard, Naruto."

He paused, surveying Naruto's face for any sign of disgust or disbelief. But Naruto stared steadily at him, trustingly, and a rush of hopelessness filled Sasuke. The words multiplied in his mind, tumbling over one another and making little sense; nevertheless he began to talk, with more passion and life than he had in a long time.

"It's hard supporting a wife and newborn on one little income," he said, a fiery sort of shine cutting through the blackness of his eyes. He began to speak in a rush, scarcely stopping to suck in a deep breath.

"Her family seems to hate me for 'making' her have a child so soon into our marriage. They've basically cut off contact with us. I don't think it'll last long, but she's been feeling awful about it. She's supposed to have pretty much recovered from the stress of her pregnancy by now, but she's having a relapse of the sickness, and cramps, and headaches, and all the other pains that come with it. The doctors don't really know why, but they say she's falling into depression.

"And somehow, it's all my fault. She says she doesn't have the energy to tend to the baby. We have to buy milk formulas now, because she refuses to breastfeed Yoko like she has been. It's just another expense that isn't necessary. She blames me because Yoko's so fussy and doesn't sleep at night. She blames me for forgetting to pay the bills because I'm so busy with housekeeping and Yoko and my job.

"Then, right when I thought it couldn't get worse, it started to." Sasuke's voice quavered with indignation, a surge of rage making twinges of nausea wrench his stomach. "That was right after you came over that last time, when we were watching the ballgame."

Naruto watched Sasuke closely, a sense of fear permeating his mind. He had never seen Sasuke in such a formidable state of fury; especially toward someone of his own family––someone he loved. Sasuke spoke against his wife with such a harshness that Naruto grew agitated.

"I remember," Naruto said weakly. _I hope I haven't started a feud by getting him to spill all of this..._

"She knew someone had been over," Sasuke continued, oblivious to Naruto's darkened thoughts, "and I told her it was you. She didn't believe me at first. She kept raving about how I was inviting other women over, having relationships with other ladies and keeping them a secret from her.

"Finally, I convinced her that it had been you. Instead of apologizing to me, she started on a whole different streak of fussing. That time she accused me of staying with you too much. She said I'm irresponsible and probably too young and careless to be a father, that I spend too much time with you and my coworkers watching television and going out. I already do everything around the place. What more does the woman expect?"

The entire time, Sasuke's voice continued to rise until he teetered on the verge of shouting. His tousled hair fell over his eyes as he slammed his fist against the tabletop, causing it to shake violently and sending a bowl rattling off the edge. It fell to the floor, clattering loudly and splashing broth over the clean tile. The liquid spread in a thin, greasy layer, and Sasuke stared at it dumbly, the crease between his eyebrows softening somewhat.

Naruto's heart clenched as he realized how Sasuke must have been aching for relief. He silently observed as the broth seeped into the grout between the tiles; despite knowing that he would have to clean it and resenting that Sasuke had even committed the deed, he felt pity squeeze inside his chest.

"I––I'm sorry." He winced as he even said it. A simple "sorry" would not suffice. How foolish of him to even offer consolation; what could he do to help? He couldn't trod on Sasuke's privacy in order to assist him in sorting out his difficulties.

Embarrassed by his blunder, Sasuke looked away, hiding his light flush of excitement beneath his fringe. "I guess you probably should be sorry," he mumbled thickly, reaching up to move his hair so it curtained his stinging cheeks.

Startled, Naruto quickly asked, "What? Why do you say that?"

"Because." Uneasily, Sasuke stood, gripping his hands behind his back. He kept still for a moment before stooping to retrieve the ceramic bowl he had knocked from the table. Cold droplets of broth dripped from the bowl's rim onto Sasuke's fingers, making his skin sticky and wet. He silently placed the bowl beside Naruto, and closed his eyes briefly before speaking again.

"You're the entire problem."

His voice fell into Naruto's ears as if its intangible substance was compiled of boulders.

_I'm the problem?_

* * *

**Author's Note: **Blecch. Sasuke, you pill. I'm kind of basing Sasuke's anger against his wife on arguments my parents have had in the past. Aren't I original. And for some reason, I write fast when I listen to Bobby Fuller's "I Fought the Law." That reminds me so much of the _Ace Attorney _series. Anyway, back to the subject (it seems as if I change subjects faster than a schizophrenic): there will be a twist in the story. Considering my writing skills, or lack thereof, many of you will have been anticipating it. And maybe I will make it happy?


	11. Smallest of Breakthroughs

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I can't believe it. I thought for sure I posted this chapter, but I did wonder a little why it had no new reviews or anything. I've had it finished for a couple of weeks, now! Why am I so absentminded? I need to put Post-It notes on my palms. Sorry, guys. And this chapter isn't anything but a little bitty breakthrough for Sasuke. And it's short, too.

* * *

_You're the entire problem._

Sasuke's words echoed loudly in Naruto's head, swimming between his ears and making him feel ill.

"Wh––what are you talking about, 'I'm the problem'?" Naruto asked weakly. "What do you mean, Sasuke?"

Frustrated, Sasuke raked his strong fingers through his hair, pulling the strands back to expose his flushed face. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Naruto retorted. "Don't just blame something on me and then not even tell me what it is. What'd I do, Sas'? What'd I do to make things so hard for you?"

Sasuke roughly grabbed the corner of the chair, dropping onto its worn knit cushion heavily. His forehead wrinkled as he thought, his eyes shut tightly and his brows furrowed. He remained silent for so long that Naruto feared he had become sick. After several agonizing minutes, which Naruto fidgeted through, Sasuke raised his head.

"I guess it's just because of the problems between _that woman_ and me is that you're around so much." Sasuke's voice stayed flat but harsh, his explanation bluntly simple. "You wouldn't believe some of the things she says, Naruto. At home, she won't even let me call my baby Yoko, because you came up with the nickname."

"I don't care about things like that," Naruto protested, attempting to distract Sasuke from his barrage of tart accusations. "Yoko's your kid. You have the right to call her whatever you like––but both the husband and wife should agree on the name. My mother and father knew for a long time before I was born what they would call me."

"You're missing the point," Sasuke interrupted sourly. "What I'm trying to say is that she doesn't like the name because _you _made it up. How stupid is that?"

"Aw, Sasuke." Pleadingly, Naruto reached across the table, cupping his palm over the back of Sasuke's hand and squeezing his fingers. "I hate it when you get mad. We've helped each other through heaps of problems. Even family problems––no––_especially _family problems. I helped you remember how nice parents are when you were adopted back in middle school. You helped me get a job to pay my uncle back for boarding with him. We've done so many things for each other... so why is it that you don't think I can help you now?"

"Y––you don't get it, Naruto." Sasuke stammered briefly, but hastened to recover. "You act like you're on _her _side or something. Why don't you understand how everything's hurting me, too?"

"I do understand." With forced gentleness, Naruto began to rub the side of his thumb against Sasuke's platinum wedding ring. The metal felt cold and smooth beneath his skin, and thoughtfully, he twisted the band, pulling it slowly from Sasuke's finger. He held it up to the dim light, watching as a small halo of yellow brightness surrounded it.

"You remember what this ring means?" Naruto asked impulsively.

"It means I'm stuck where I am for the rest of my life."

"No." Naruto glared at Sasuke disapprovingly, shoving the ring closer to his face. Sasuke blinked at the unexpected closeness, unwillingly looking down at the large ring and scowling when Naruto held it even closer to his nose.

"You remember. Stop playing around, " Naruto said in admonishment. "It's a circle, ain't it?"

"It seems you do know your shapes."

Naruto ground his teeth angrily, refusing to allow Sasuke's sarcasm to affect him.

"As I said," he repeated with forced emphasis, "it's a circle. And you know what the circle means?"

Naruto did not risk earning yet another jibe from Sasuke. Before Sasuke could open his mouth to speak, Naruto answered for him.

"A circle means eternity. It means that when you put a ring on her finger, and she put a ring on yours, you were both saying to each other, 'Hey, honey. This marriage ain't to try you out for a few weeks. It's a forever deal.' That's what you gotta take into consideration. You can't go through all this hype just to end up backing out of it."

Silently, Sasuke stared down at the tabletop, on which his and Naruto's intertwined fingers rested. A faint sense of guilt festered in his stomach, and his heart throbbed within his chest.

Naruto seemed not to understand how taxing life was on him. _Why is that? _Sasuke wondered vaguely. _He's been an overgrown kid for so long. I could always depend on him to take my side in everything, whether I deserved it or not. Why is it that he grows up _now? _When I need him to take my side and see things the same way I do?_

Sasuke stood up abruptly, pulling his hand from Naruto's and wiping his sweaty palm against his shirt. He frowned, lines wrinkling his forehead as he thrust his fists into his pockets. The tight fabric of his denim jeans stretched over his hips, and he sighed as he idly jingled the loose coins in his pockets, scarcely even realizing he had surrendered to the habit.

"Sasuke, don't go," said Naruto bleakly. "Not just yet."

Sasuke felt certain that Naruto knew he would not leave. It seemed only as if Naruto wished to plug some sort of noise into the silence. Uncomfortably, Naruto turned in the chair, hooking his legs around its back to straddle it.

"If you think it'll be tough going home, you can stay here," he offered, not daring to meet Sasuke's gaze. "If you want to. I mean, you can have my bed, and I can sleep on the sofa. But if you think it'd stir up more trouble, there's no reason for you to bother. It was just a suggestion, not that I really needed to––"

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke said habitually. "I'm staying right here. I was going to stay anyway, whether you invited me or not."

"Thanks for the warning, then," Naruto said, mumbling into the headrest of the chair. Despite his sulky tone, a grin touched his mouth, and Sasuke detected the trace of subtle cheer in his voice. A stab of anger burrowed into Sasuke's middle, and he furiously clenched his teeth into his lip.

_How can you stay like this? _Sasuke thought enviously. _No matter what, nothing brings you down. It's like you don't have a care in the world. Why can't I be like that? Why can't I be free from worry?_

"I'm going upstairs to take a shower," Sasuke muttered, turning away and forcing his hands deeper into his pockets. A nervous sweat prickled the skin along his hairline, igniting an itch that he felt was tinting his entire face red. He soon realized that the sensation was not an itch, but rather, a flush of embarrassment.

He had always thought of Naruto as being the child; perhaps, though, he was the one who needed time to mature.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's almost over. How, you ask? Because of time-skips. After Naruto and Sasuke's relationship mends, so will the relationship between Sasuke and his wife. Then I may write a chapter with "Yoko" in her toddler years.

Hopefully I will update soon to get this story out of the way. It's starting to drag. But then I can focus on _Mask. _Y'all remember that, right? Because I forgot about it again. I might post a new chapter, soon.


	12. Rapid Realization

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I may just start posting one chapter every two weeks... but I don't know. This is another short chapter, because suddenly, I remembered that my original intention was to post chapters under a thousand words. Sasuke is being a baby in this chapter again, because men are childish. (Most of them, anyway.) My father and brother graciously taught me so.

* * *

Sasuke ducked his head beneath the spurts of water that dribbled from the old, rickety shower faucet. The fat droplets drummed gently against the back of his neck, massaging the tightness from his muscles. Even though he had finished washing minutes ago, he felt content to just stand beneath the hot rush of water, relaxing and allowing his eyes to close, his wet lashes sticking together.

_It's kind of funny that Naruto hasn't been yelling for me to finish up, _Sasuke thought, rivulets of water streaming over the tender skin behind his ears. _He's probably still mad at me. But what do I care? It's not like he's done anything much for me. He's always seen my side of a situation. Why, though, when I have my biggest problem, does he decide to just sit there and blabber about how stupid _I _am?_

Even as he thought it, he knew he was being unfair. Naruto allowed him to stay at his house, just to avoid an unpleasant confrontation. Naruto never criticized Sasuke when Sasuke complained to him. Somehow, Naruto had endured all of his anger, whining, and unjust accusations.

_What makes him put up with me? _Sasuke wondered, the familiar twinges of annoyance rising in his middle. Becoming furious over again, even after he had calmed somewhat, he felt almost indignant by the injustice of it all.

_I _know _I've been taking advantage of him a little, lately. And maybe I have been... pushing him away a bit. How can he still want to have me over and talk to me, like we're still teenagers or something? Like everything's just fine and perfect? Does he like to pretend nothing bothers him? It makes me sick!_

Sasuke reached out, his wet fingers sliding over the slick faucet handle. He turned it with a painful jerk of his wrist, ceasing the flow of warm water. He shook his head violently, sending miniscule flecks of water and soap suds spattering against the shower tiles. It seemed as if a bubble of cold air surrounded him, enveloping him in a chill that made his core ache.

Tiredly, he clenched his arms around himself, quivering as he used his foot to slide the loose glass door open. A fog of steam had glazed the glass surface, beads of condensation trailing lonesomely down to the support rail.

_I'll bet he's going to try acting like nothing's going on, _Sasuke thought viciously. He snapped the wrinkles from a yellow towel, vigorously rubbing the worn cloth against his cool skin.

_Well, it's a worthless game that won't get him anywhere. He might be able to keep from thinking about the future, but I can't. Maybe if he had a family depending on him, he'd see things the way I do._

Sasuke crumpled the towel into a ball, tossing it carelessly. It fell in a heap near the corner of the bathroom, and Sasuke sighed tiredly, his bottom lip jutting out as he blew a wedge of his soaked bangs from his forehead.

_What am I expected to do? _he thought miserably, resting his elbow on the icy porcelain back of the toilet as he leaned against the wall. _It's like no one is satisfied, no matter how hard I try. If I stay with my family, Naruto is unhappy. If I stay with Naruto, my family is unhappy. No one will be okay, whatever I do. Why is everything so difficult for me? I don't even know what my first priority is. I don't know what it should be, either. Should I keep loyal to the guy I've known my whole life, or should I ignore him so a woman I've known only a year can stay happy?_

Wearily, his back fitting stiffly into a curve, he bent down to retrieve the neatly folded clean clothes he had gathered to change into. The baggy green sweater and denim shorts belonged to Naruto, and Sasuke felt almost reminiscent as he tugged the rumpled sweater over his outstretched arms. At a younger age, they had frequently shared clothes, often to the point of them forgetting what article belonged to whom.

He gently smoothed the creases from the large sweater, its hem bunched around his thighs. His fingertips dangled from the oversized sleeves, and as he stared down at himself, he realized how unkempt he looked. He had grown accustomed to wearing pressed slacks and pinstripe sports coats––he could not remember the last time he had donned an outfit of Naruto's. He shifted his weight from side to side, feeling comfortable and warm. The sweater smelled lightly of laundry detergent and mothballs, much as if it had been hidden in a drawer for many months.

Sleepily, he unfolded the pair of thick shorts, stepping into the them to work them up his legs, pulling them up to secure the waistband around his hips. Every motion made him long more strongly to collapse on Naruto's small bed––stifling a yawn, he unearthed a comb from among the toiletries littering the sink and eased its thin teeth into his sopping chunks of hair.

_Maybe, just maybe, things will be fine. _He peered into the mirror, teasing his tufts of hair into upright clumps with the comb. _Maybe all I have to do is not be bothered about it. That's probably how Naruto stays so easygoing. He's never stressed. He has no thought for tomorrow... I could try to do that, but it seems so stupid. I _need _to have things planned out and ready. _

_But isn't that what's held us together for so long, though? _He paused, his eyes hard and flat and staring back at him intently from the fogged mirror. _We balance each other out. We always have. Naruto makes up for my weaknesses, and I make up for his. That's how we've managed to get so far––by both of us doing for the other what he can't do himself. _

A rush of warmth ghosted from beneath the door, and Sasuke shuddered appreciatively beneath his sweater. Slowly, he returned the comb to the sink, not bothering to tidy the clutter. He turned to open the door, flipping the light switch as he went out.

"Hey."

Sasuke halted in his trudging steps, his outstretched hand nearly meeting the banister of the stairway. Feeling groggy, he tipped his head to the side in a gesture of impatience, scarcely acknowledging Naruto's voice.

"I thought you got locked in the bathroom," said Naruto, a hint of humor in his tone. He became somber again as he added, "I stashed your food in the refrigerator. I didn't know if you'd be hungry or not. I ate while you were showering, so everything that's left is for you."

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said, waving away the subject carelessly. "I'll eat later. Right now I want to take a nap."

"You don't need to sleep on the couch if you don't want to," Naruto reminded. "I told you, you can have my room."

Sasuke briefly considered the offer, remembering how firm the cushions of the couch felt. The fabric always felt gritty and prickly against his skin. Naruto's bed, though, had always been covered in several soft, fresh-smelling pastel green sheets.

"I'm taking your room," Sasuke decided. "You can go on downstairs. Heaven knows I won't be able to sleep with you in the same story of the house."

"Sure," Naruto said, a chuckle rattling from his throat. "When you wake up, you can come down and we'll watch a movie or something."

"It's not a sleepover," Sasuke protested weakly. "I just want to lay down. I don't want to have ice cream and popcorn while watching a sappy animated soap opera. What are you, a woman?"

"Okay, okay," Naruto replied cheerfully, startling Sasuke by his refusal to argue over the matter. "I'll straighten up the kitchen while you nap. I'll see you later––sleep well."

"All right," Sasuke said, bewildered by Naruto's behavior. He blankly watched as Naruto began his descent down the stairs, disappearing around the corner without another word.

"And... thanks," Sasuke called softly, knowing Naruto could not hear him.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Next chapter, Naruto and Sasuke will (hopefully) have their last little heart-to-heart. I don't plan on giving the story a happy ending, at least for Naruto. Well, next week, I'm posting the first chapter of a Sasuke/James story. Yep, I'm doing a_ Naruto & __Pokémon_ crossover. Maybe it will be better than it sounds.


	13. Understanding

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Once more... sorry for the delayed update. Back in the boonies again. Sigh. But on the bright side, I have around six chapters of this story already written and ready to post each weekend.

This chapter follows the previous one, in the sense that it shows Naruto's thoughts on the situation. I fear that I'm turning this thing too wonky. One of my problems is trying to ham everything up, and usually I end up making stories corny when I do that. If you have any suggestions, I'd be honored if you shared them.

* * *

Naruto idly scrubbed a soapy sponge over the floor, washing away the spilled broth that had dried on the floor in an oily film. Though his arm swept back and forth, his muscles aching from the repetitive motion, his thoughts floated far away from his task.

_I hope Sasuke's okay, _he thought, chewing on the inside of his cheek guiltily. _He didn't even get mad at me when I asked him to watch a movie with me. I only wanted to spend a bit more time with him before he leaves again._

_But, _he mused,_ maybe has every right to be tired and worn out––tired of working and fighting and fussing. I don't know how it feels to have a family like he does. Maybe it was just normal of him to hate me for so long. _

_Oh, who am I kidding? I'm still just a kid to him. I always have been, I guess. I probably always will be. When he got a car, I was still riding a bicycle. When he got a girlfriend, I was still playing video games with the guys from the football team. When he got married, I was still too immature to be happy for him. He's been growing up, and I just keep getting stupider and stupider. _

The higher the surge of anger flared within him, the more fiercely he scrubbed. A thick froth of soap lathered his hand and the sponge, droplets of suds flying.

_Is that what's wrong with me? _he wondered. _I'm such... such a terrible friend. I haven't been thinking of Sasuke at all. I always thought of him as my best friend. I knew he'd always be right beside me to clean up my mess. And now, when he needs me to clean up _his _mess, I can't do a single thing about it._

_I'm so selfish. _The skin between his eyes bunched into tiny creases as he wrinkled his freckled nose. _Stupid _and _selfish. I couldn't see it all along! I've been treating Sasuke like a babysitter. _

_He helps me out when I'm in trouble, entertains me and my short attention span, gives me things when I need them, and then, I don't give him anything in return. No wonder he thinks of me as a kid!_

He raised up to balance on his knees, drawing back and slinging the sponge into the bucket beside him. A miniature tidal wave of water erupted from the sharp impact, splashing over the rim of the bucket and onto the floor.

Naruto glared down at the shallow puddle, his cheeks burning with indignation and his breath coming fast to catch in the back of his throat. His eyebrows lowered, squeezing his eyes into slits and creating furrows in his forehead so deep they ached.

_I don't blame Sasuke for being mad. I really don't. If I were him, I'd be mad, too. I know he deserves to have some happiness, after everything he's gone through. I mean, he grew up at an orphanage and wasn't put into foster care until he was twelve. It took him a long time to get adopted, so he missed out on those best years of being with a family. _

_And the only thing stopping him from having a good family life now is me._

Startled by his own realization, Naruto slowly lowered his hand, resting it on his thigh. He stared blankly at the wall, seeing it but not acknowledging it, feeling something in the side of his chest go taut.

_Sasuke was right, _he thought slowly. _I _am _the entire problem. The whole time he's been married, it hasn't been his attitude, his job, his wife or his baby keeping him from being happy––it's been me. _

He rolled the idea around in his mind, testing it, pondering it. It _sounded _wrong, but he knew that, no matter how odd it seemed or how firmly he denied it, the fact remained. It had been proven enough to be considered true.

_I thought I loved Sasuke as a brother, _he thought. _But that can't be right. I can't really care for him, because if I really did, I would always do my best to make sure his best interests are met. I haven't been doing that. I've only been looking out for myself. _

_I've only been working to keep myself happy. If I really cared about Sasuke, I'd have that craving to make sure he's content with life. And he can't ever be content, as long as I'm around to try pulling him away from his family._

_Sasuke was never wrong. It was me the whole time who was wrong and too stubborn to admit it. And I was the one keeping him from having a happy home. It was me... _

Naruto had always been the one to cry when things went wrong. Even at his age, emotions easily overwhelmed him, and now, he had to bite his tongue and clench his fists to discourage the rapid advance of tears. They flooded his eyes and blurred his vision, running in sticky rivulets to the crests of his cheeks before pouring down the contour of his jaw.

He could not cry in a mannerly way such as was shown in those romantic movies, nor could he muster the dignity to gingerly pat at his eyes with a napkin or to attempt swallowing the mound that had swelled in his throat. No one watched him, anyway, so he did not feel the need to even bother. He ducked his head, his eyes open and his lids quivering around them. Tears fell steadily down his chin to hit the floor, mingling with the pool of sudsy water that had soaked the knees of his pants. He snuffled, his shoulders heaving and shaking.

"I understand it, now, and I––I––I'm _sorry, _Sasuke," he muttered thickly, a gulping sob making his words sound no more coherent than a foreign language. But that was no hindrance to him––though no one stood solemnly to listen to him, he continued to blurt out anguished apologies to Sasuke.

* * *

No matter which way Sasuke turned or flipped, comfort did not approach him. Naruto's rumpled unmade bed felt as soft and cool as it ever had, but even so, Sasuke could not sleep. Frustrated, he buried his fingers in the worn sheets, tugging them up to wrap them more tightly around himself. His eyes stung, but whenever he closed them, bright colors swirled along the back of his eyelids, making him dizzy.

_I wish Naruto would come up here, _he thought forlornly, but hastily stopped himself. Angrily, he flopped over to rest on his belly, smashing his nose into the flat pillow. He vaguely listened to the rattling clatter of dishes against the counters downstairs. Naruto had said he intended to tidy the kitchen, but it sounded more as if he were destroying it than cleaning it.

_Maybe I will watch that movie with him, _Sasuke thought reluctantly. _I don't want to––I _really _don't want to––but it is the least I can do for him right now. I owe him that much, after all he's put up with._

Tiredly, Sasuke snuggled deeper into the lumpy mattress, emptying his chest of a purring sigh. He tucked his arms beneath the pillow, pulling it up to hide his face. He briefly decided to be as kind to Naruto as possible, when an unexpected fog of drowsiness made his mind feel slick and clogged.

_No matter what Naruto says or does, _he thought groggily, _I'll be nice to him. I'll try, I promise._

"Promise," he repeated aloud, breathing the word in a soft murmur before allowing himself to grow limp in the cozy darkness of sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sasuke and Naruto have their last big talk in the next few chapters before the climax of the story. Then it'll taper off and end. At last. I'm guessing maybe there will be around ten to thirteen more chapters? But I'm always wrong. I thought at first this entire story would last only five chapters. What was I thinking?


	14. Admit Defeat

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Okay. I call this faux-NaruSasu, because apparently it looks, smells, and sounds like NaruSasu. But it isn't NaruSasu, I swear. Seriously. But don't worry, shippers. I'm considering writing a sort of bonus chapter that shows the end of this chapter, but with a _lot _more (intentional) NaruSasu. With smooches. Oh, yeah.

* * *

Naruto squatted beside the cabinet, clumsily reaching in to return a clean pan to the top shelf. He deliberately banged its sides against the other pots, making as much clattering racket as possible. He dreaded the prospect of Sasuke hearing his sporadic sniffles and coming downstairs to investigate, so he intended to mask the sound with other noises.

Returning to his place squared in front of the sink, he turned the faucet, the stream of water drumming loudly against the greasy copper-plated bottom of a frying pan. His eyes felt hot and burned fiercely as he groped through the water in search of his wadded rag, and his fingers closed around its threadbare corner. A quiet sigh brushed through his mouth as he began to scrub the pan, his hand moving in rhythmic motion that seemed to hypnotize him, making sleep cloud his senses.

_I've been down here almost half an hour, _he thought, glancing toward the clock. Inhaling with determination, he dropped the pan and rag, snapping the faucet off. He did not bother to find a towel on which to dry his hands, choosing instead to wipe his palms along the front of his jeans.

_Maybe Sasuke's awake... and if he isn't, I'll lay down for just a minute. I'll be back down to finish the chores before he gets up. Don't need to be accused of laziness on top of all the other mess, _he reasoned reluctantly.

Naruto meandered through the parlor, slowly making his way to the stairs. As he curled his fingers around the banister, his knuckles cracked, and he winced––every step up the stairs stretched his legs, making them ache.

He sluggishly mounted the top step, the bottoms of his bare feet squeaking against the waxy floor. Though he drew up his shoulders in fright, fearing he would awaken Sasuke, he continued trudging in an awkward manner toward his bedroom. He rocked from the balls of his feet to his heels, dragging his toes over the floor.

"Sa-su-ke?" Naruto tiredly called Sasuke's name in quiet broken syllables, his voice feeling as if it were fraying the cords in his throat. Upon receiving no reply, he cautiously gripped the cold rusted brass doorknob, twisting it carefully to avoid making any sound. He spread his hand against the door, pushing it open.

"You up, Sasuke?" Naruto peeked through the slit between the door and its frame, peering at the small bed in which Sasuke lay, tangled among the sheets. Sasuke's arm rested on his stomach, his hair spiked across the pillow, and he appeared most comfortable sprawled over the thick quilts.

Silently, Naruto opened the door until the space grew large enough for him to slip through. He tiptoed to the bed, but rather than flop down beside Sasuke, he paused at the cot's corner. Somberly, he folded his hands, resting them against the front of his thighs as he watched Sasuke sleep. He chewed anxiously on the end of his tongue, formulating a method to crawl into the bed without disturbing Sasuke. Unconsciously, his gaze swept over Sasuke's slumbering figure, tracing the angled outline of his body beneath the blankets.

He did not realize he had been standing there for so long when a soft, long yawn broke the peaceful atmosphere.

"Mmm... Naruto?" Sasuke froze in the middle of a stretch, his eyes opening wide at the sight of Naruto. His mouth stayed open, his jaw slack around the yawn. "What are you doing?"

"I was cleaning the kitchen," Naruto said, both relieved and embarrassed that he had been caught before returning downstairs. "And... ah, I got tired, so I wanted to lay down."

"Not here, I hope," Sasuke said tersely. "That'll be just another thing for the woman to whine about. I can hear it now––'Sasuke, what am I going to do with you? If you aren't in bed with a woman, you're in bed with a man!' It's enough to make me sick."

Rather than comment on Sasuke's hostile complaints, Naruto swiftly changed the subject. "I'm sorry for waking you up. Didn't mean to. No need to get mad over anything."

Sasuke almost forgot his promise to be kind to Naruto––almost. The sarcastic words had formed on his tongue, ready to fall: _Yeah, you should be sorry. I'm really tired. You could've at least let me sleep awhile longer, you selfish dunce._

But he did not allow himself to succumb to the urge to scold Naruto. Something seemed unusual about Naruto's countenance, but Sasuke was not experienced or concerned enough to translate facial expressions. He dismissed Naruto's mournful look, sighing halfheartedly as he roused the energy to push himself up on his elbows, propping himself in an upright position.

"Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly. "I'll probably doze while we watch that movie."

He fully expected Naruto's eyes to brighten and a grin to play around his mouth. He waited for Naruto's inevitable outburst of, "Sasuke! You're watching it with me?"

But the anticipated reaction never came. Sasuke's frown deepened, and he pulled his legs up to give Naruto room as Naruto slowly lowered himself to sit on the corner of the bed. The silence wrapped around them, and panic rose in Sasuke's chest.

_Something's wrong, _he thought, swallowing. His tongue felt gritty and leathery, and his fingers grew clammy with perspiration. _Naruto's never this serious. He's mad. Something has to be wrong with him._

Vaguely aware of Sasuke's discomfort, Naruto sat rubbing his fingers together, his eyes fixated on his lap. He idly picked at his thumbnail, and once, twice, he opened his mouth to speak. Finally, unable to tolerate the suffocating tension any longer, Sasuke blurted,

"Whatever I did to you, Naruto, I'm sorry."

He flinched as Naruto's back jerked in a stifled harsh chuckle. "What do you have to be sorry for, Sasuke? I'm the guy who should be apologizing."

"Why do you say that?" Sasuke asked warily. The dryness in his throat did not subside, and he self-consciously rolled his tongue over his bottom lip, wetting the chapped skin. Naruto did not turn to look at him; he now occupied his hands with a loose thread that sprouted from the hem of the quilt, pulling it into tiny knots.

"I've been a really rotten person, lately," Naruto admitted, a low sigh drawing out his voice. "Not only to the other people in my life, but mainly to you. I shouldn't ever have said or done what I did. And... and I'm _sorry._"

Sasuke squinted at Naruto, his eyes hard and flat. "I can't be hearing this," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is a joke, isn't it? You're crazy. I don't get you at all."

Naruto felt his eyes become hot, and he angrily squeezed his fists, pressing them into the mattress. Practically in desperation, he gritted his teeth, lowering his head until his chin met his collarbone.

"I'm not joking, Sasuke," he said, struggling for composure, his voice thin and weak. "I've been so... so awful to you. All those things you were saying about your family really hurt me, because I realized that you were onto something when you said your problems were my fault. It is my fault, Sasuke, and I want you to know that I'm sorry for that."

Sasuke tensed, his muscles tightening. Surely Naruto had not been pondering that careless accusation this entire time. And surely he had not accepted it in such a somber manner. Normally, Naruto would fight such a claim with fury. He would never bow in shame to admit that he was wrong.

"I thought we were done talking about this," Sasuke said at last, refusing to show any glimmers of human sympathy.

"We're not."

"I know that, now," Sasuke said rudely, his brows lowering, the skin between his eyes bunching. "But... look, Naruto, I don't care anymore. I was just thinking, you know, and I guess maybe... it wasn't right of me to blame you for everything that goes wrong. It makes me no better than that woman, spewing complaints all the time. So I suppose I should say sorry. You shouldn't have to. I shouldn't have pinned all my problems on you, anyway."

"No." Naruto glowered back at him, his eyes like blue pinwheels twirling in an angry gale. "Don't try to get out of it. You know what you said, and you meant it. You wouldn't say something like that 'just because.' There was a reason. It was true. I was thinking about it, too, Sasuke––I thought until I felt like my skull would split.

"No matter which way I pieced it, I always got the same solution. I did something real selfish––I was being greedy and demanding, like a spoiled little brat. I wanted you all to myself, the same as when we were kids. But that can't happen now. You have responsibilities to people that I don't have, and by trying to take up your time, I was making you choose between your family or me. Not directly, but in essence. And that was dirty of me. I understand now how hard I was making it for you."

"That's not so," Sasuke protested. "It's not as bad as it was. _You're _not as bad as you were. You've done a lot of growing up in these past few months. I forced it on you, in a way."

Sasuke fell silent, his mind lingering on his own statement. _It makes me sick, but I've been his crutch this whole time. I even knew it, but I never tried teaching him to be independent. I'm what kept him from maturing––maybe he feels like, as long as he has me, he's not leaving anything behind. I'm what's keeping him in touch with what he had as a kid, and he's the type that will do anything to avoid letting go._

"You forced nothing but common sense," Naruto said reasonably, exhaling wearily. "I should probably thank you. Maybe that's all I needed, a good verbal whack to the noggin. I needed to be reminded that everyone has to turn into an adult at some point. If I'd learned that sooner, I would have stepped out of your way, and all this trouble and fighting wouldn't have happened."

"There's no need to blame yourself," Sasuke said, a note of anxiety in his voice. He did not feel any more fond of this subdued, willing-to-be-punished Naruto than he had of the carefree, untroubled man Naruto had been not long ago.

"But there is," Naruto said emphatically. "You've been trying your best to deal with me. I've been whining over your marriage since the day it happened. I was mad at you for awhile, 'cause I thought you were ignoring me. But it was just normal. I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes... I just probably wouldn't have handled it as well as you did."

"I _was _ignoring you," Sasuke said, anger swelling in his gut. Naruto could not be accepting defeat––Sasuke wanted nothing more than to rile him to the point of Naruto surrendering to the urge to lash back.

"I was so happy to finally have a wife that I forgot about you completely. What I had really forgotten, though, was that you've been with me forever, while I've only been married for a couple of years. You've stuck with me all this time, and I never even thought of that."

Naruto's steely gaze softened slightly as he glanced hopefully at Sasuke. "So what are you saying?"

Frustrated, Sasuke looked away, biting his lower lip nervously. The pain seemed to remind him that he had eased himself into an uncomfortable situation, and he felt his stomach lurch nauseatingly. He waited a long, agonizing moment before answering.

"I'm... I'm saying that if... I ever had to choose between you or her, I'd have to choose you. Not that it's a choice I'm eager to make, but... it's kind of like owing you for all you've done. Payback. If it was weighed on a scale, everyone would see how much more you've done for me than she has. So in payment for all that, I'd stay on your side. My father always taught me to pay all my debts."

"It shouldn't have to be that way," Naruto said quietly.

"What?"

"It shouldn't have to be that way," Naruto repeated, more forcefully. "See what I'm doing? I'm making all these messes in everyone's lives. You shouldn't have to choose between us, and that's what I'm making you do. It's wrong, no matter which way you see it, and it has to stop."

"It isn't you," Sasuke argued, exasperated.

_Why does he have to take it all to heart? _he wondered. _Any other time, he'd refuse to say anything's his fault. Now, he's set on making me believe that. Why is that just when I realize he's not as stupid as I thought, he starts thinking the opposite? Now that I think he _isn't_ the cause of everything awful in the world, he's convinced himself of it._

"What if I said I _wanted _to make that choice?" Sasuke asked challengingly. "What if I said I _wanted _to pick my lifetime best friend over a woman who just stirs things up all the time? What would you do, then?"

Naruto gave a barely perceptible start, shaking the bed. As if unable to comprehend that Sasuke had asked the provoking question, he stared over his shoulder at Sasuke, his forehead wrinkling.

"If you _ever _honestly told me that––if you _ever _chose me over her," he said stonily, "I would never talk to you again."

Sasuke froze motionless, his breath caught behind his clenched teeth. His throbbing heart felt as if it were rising into his throat, and his pulse hammered in his ears, almost drowning out the sound of Naruto's voice.

Sasuke's reaction did not escape Naruto's watchful eyes. Just as suddenly as he had made the threat, all the anger in Naruto's face flattened into nothingness. He heaved a drained sigh, sagging, his posture drooping in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he said softly. "I didn't mean that. Honest, I didn't."

Sasuke hastened to recover, humiliated he had even responded. He folded his broad arms over his chest, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. Gruffly, he said, "It doesn't matter. Not to anyone, and definitely not to me."

"It should matter," Naruto mumbled guiltily. "See what's going on, even now? You and your wife are fighting, and now, you and I are fighting."

"We've always fought."

"Not like this," Naruto said witheringly. "We've always gotten into little spats and squabbles, but we've never actually _fought. _And we're fighting because I came in here to start it. I didn't even mean to. I just wanted to tell you something."

"Well? Go ahead and tell," Sasuke said coldly, sinking lower into the bed. His black eyes cut through his forelock, as if he were daring Naruto to continue.

Naruto silently reached behind himself, scrubbing his fingertips into the warm back of his neck. He blew another whistling sigh from between his lips, and finally, he stopped, twisting around to face Sasuke. He stretched closer, dropping his hands to the mattress for support in his awkward position.

"I've been thinking," he said, "about what would be better for you. For the both of us, actually. And no matter what, as long as we're intent on staying friends, we're gonna have trouble from all around. Especially you, since you have a family. So someone's gonna have to give in. And you have a duty to your family, not to me."

"W––what does that mean?" Sasuke asked hoarsely, staring at his miniature reflection in Naruto's clouded eyes. He had a nagging premonition of what Naruto meant, but before he could ponder it further, Naruto fell on top of him, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's neck to pull him into a clumsy embrace.

"What are you doing, you dunce?" Sasuke sputtered, looking as if he had received a gift he was not quite sure he wanted. He stiffened, acutely aware of how Naruto's hand moved to cup the back of his head, pressing Sasuke's cheek to his own. They stayed that way for a suffocating moment, and Sasuke felt almost as if he were in a confused daze when Naruto's body began to tremble against him, his shoulders jerking fitfully.

_He's crying, _Sasuke thought dully, and a sort of pity swelled in his core. He lay there helplessly, unsure of what to do or how to comfort Naruto, because in all reality, he felt like crying, as well. On impulse, he tentatively draped his arm around Naruto, curling his fingers into Naruto's baggy shirt.

The gesture––meant to be soothing––only made Naruto's stifled whimpers grow louder. Sasuke winced as Naruto burrowed his wet face deeper into the curve of his neck. Uneasily, he patted Naruto's back, hushing him.

Time seemed to creep by, the seconds feeling more like hours. Sasuke wondered how long he had been pinned beneath Naruto, when at last, Naruto shifted. He balanced himself on his forearms, and sniffled shakily, his skin flushed and streaked with glowing trails of tears.

"Sorry," he croaked, and cringed at the sound. Embarrassed, he reached down, rearranging Sasuke's strands of hair that had been soaked with his tears, his clumsy fingers bumping against Sasuke's neck. On any other occasion, Sasuke would not have allowed such familiar contact, but in actuality, he felt stunned, winded by all that had been said in the span of just a few minutes.

_Whatever Naruto needs to say must be terrible, _Sasuke thought vaguely. Naruto remained silent, laying halfway on top of Sasuke, his weight putting near-intolerable pressure on Sasuke's stomach. Just when Sasuke felt tempted to push Naruto away, Naruto's jaw set with determination.

"I guess..." Naruto cleared his throat with a raspy cough, looking away before starting again. "I guess I just wanted to say..."

He exhaled and shook his head, blowing a sharp gust of air up his forehead, frustrated that he could not explain. Sasuke waited impatiently, an ominous tingle swirling down his spine.

At last, Naruto dropped his gaze, his eyes lifeless and flat.

"I just wanted to tell you... goodbye, Sasuke."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I've noticed all my cliffhangers, instead of being dramatic, are laughable because of so much stinking unnecessary ham. I'll try to avoid cliffhangers from now on... at least for this story. Also, all your reviews have really inspired me for this story, and I have a sketchy idea of how it will end. And I'm not saying either Naruto or Sasuke is right in his choice, because no matter what they do, with that attitude, they will get nowhere. And of course there won't be a good ending because they're making cowardly decisions. Mostly Sasuke.


	15. Goodbye

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Been somewhat depressed lately. I miss Perry the Platypus. I'm vaguely looking forward to playing Mafia at the grocery store.

Oh, notes on this chapter: please either overlook the corny parts or, preferably, offer advice to help me fix them. It seems too melodramatic to me, but I got used to writing James. Once you get it stuck in your head that James's voice was somewhat patterned after Snagglepuss's, you can't see either character the same way.

* * *

"_Goodbye?_" Sasuke repeated, his brows lowering challengingly. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means?" Naruto retorted sharply, but before he said anything else, he clenched his fists. His expression twisted into a grimace, and he beat his fist against the mattress in self-admonishment, as if desperately fighting to regain control over his anger.

"It means... that I'm leaving you alone," Naruto muttered. "I want to spend the night with you, but then, that's it. I won't call you, or pester you about coming over. That way, your wife won't have anything to complain about. With her happy, you'll be happy, too. And so will Yoko. You'll be a family. Just the way it's meant to be."

"You constantly keep spitting talk about me being happy," Sasuke said tartly, his rage building and swirling in a tempest through his middle. "What about _you_? Have you been––just––just been _waiting _for the chance? I know you, Naruto, and I know you would never give up happiness. So me leaving must not bother you very much, otherwise, you'd never had set everything up so I can."

"You're wrong, there, Sasuke," Naruto said, his voice subdued. He grasped Sasuke's hand tightly, squeezing his strong fingers, surprised that Sasuke did not jerk away. Sasuke's wedding band felt hot against his skin, almost as if the metal were burning him.

"You can't say I'm trading in being happy," he said quietly, staring down at their hands, noting the contrast between his large, weathered tan hand and Sasuke's work-roughened white one. On impulse, he closed his fingers more fiercely around Sasuke's.

"Most friends..." He laughed suddenly, but rather than it sounding like a rattle of honest mirth, it was more of forced dry chuckle.

"I've said it a lot lately," he murmured. "I've always told you that friends are family born under different names. Or it should be that way, at least. A lot of 'friends' are bad ones. But, Sasuke, I don't wanna be a bad friend to you. Someone who really is a good friend will focus on what his friend needs, even if it isn't what he himself wants.

"And what you need is a good family life," he said firmly. "You've never had one before, and I won't get in the way of it now. It's important. You need a baby to tend to, to her watch grow, and you need a wife to listen to you when you're having a bad day and to kiss you when you feel like no one else cares. And if things keep going the way they are, you won't have that."

"I'll have you," Sasuke said stubbornly, blinking rapidly, refusing to let Naruto see the glittering traces of moisture lining the rims of his eyes.

"Aw, Sas'," Naruto said pleadingly. "Don't make me feel bad. I'm trying to help you, not hurt you."

"Well, if you were going to do anything, you should've done it a long time ago!" Sasuke snapped, exasperated. "You shouldn't have waited until you were giving me everything I needed that my wife never gave me!"

Naruto instinctively squeezed Sasuke's hand harder, just to hide the way his fingers shook. "Sasuke, don't say things like that. You need her..."

"You're the one who showed me that I _don't_ need her! You said a wife should listen to you when you have a bad day. More than anyone else, _you've _listened to all my problems. A wife should be there, on your side, in any argument. _You're _the one who's always been by me, saying I'm right, even if you don't know what anyone's fighting about. You've never criticized me or poked fun at me when I feel like falling down and crying. You––you––you've done all these things for me that my own wife never has!"

Silently, Naruto gazed down at Sasuke, and his expression made Sasuke instantly regret every word he had said. Naruto's eyes, normally so bright and healthy and full of light, now only flickered dully like dying cinders among the ashes in a smoldering fire.

"Things will work out," Naruto said, barely whispering. He released Sasuke's hand to rub at his eyes, his skin flushing as he struggled to remain composed.

"You'll see, Sas'," he said louder, dropping his arm to the mattress. "Things will smooth over. You guys love each other, and you have your baby to think of. Don't forget Yoko, Sasuke––you're her father. What if you never worked out your differences, and you two split up? How would Yoko feel, growing up without knowing both of her parents? She'd feel kinda like you did, growing up without _any _parents. Do you want to make her hurt?"

Not giving Sasuke time to answer, Naruto went on: "What I said about us being friends––I mean it, with all my heart. There's no two ways to go about it. You think we'd be happy if we could stay close, but we'd be miserable, because everyone else would be. I'll miss you, though. I'll miss you more than anything. It'll be like saying goodbye to my brother. But I gotta do it, because it's the best way for you to be happy with yourself again. You have to remember that what's here now is only half of you."

Sasuke's heart thrummed against the inside of his chest, his breath coming fast and shallow as Naruto leaned closer, tenderly touching his forehead to Sasuke's. Their fringes blended in threads of black and gold, feathering against their brows; tickling, but neither wanted to be first to brush the other's forelock away.

Sasuke tensed, ready to shove Naruto off of him. He constantly told himself he would bring his knee up between Naruto's legs to kick him off the bed, but he could not muster the energy or the will to actually carry out the deed.

"I read about it somewhere," Naruto continued softly, his breath stirring the fine hairs along Sasuke's upper lip. "And I know it's true, too. When folks get married, something really funny happens. They were two separate people, before, but when they get married, they become one person. One combined soul in two bodies, so to speak, I guess... That means you ain't on your own, anymore, 'cause you're only half a man. Your other half is down there at the Uchiha residence, probably worried sick about you."

"So what do you want me to do?" Sasuke asked hoarsely. "You keep telling me what I'm doing wrong. But what do you expect me to do to make it right? Only... only _cowards _complain about people doing things wrong, never having an answer to make things right."

"I want you to go home, to start off with," Naruto said bluntly, pointedly ignoring the insult. "You can stay tonight, and I'll be happy if you do, but you can go home if you want. No one will forget about all this overnight, you know. It'll take a long time to make up for what we've done.

"And I want you to apologize to your wife and daughter. Tell 'em how sorry you are that things have been going this way, and tell 'em you'll do what you can to fix it. And... if it's okay with you, I'd like to go down and... maybe apologize to them, too."

"You shouldn't have to do that," Sasuke said, hating how weak he sounded. "Let me do it. They're my family."

"I know they are. That's why you need to try to make things right now, before it gets any worse. And don't worry about losing them. As long as you're really sorry, and you show that you mean to do better, they'll take you back. They love you. Even I can see that. And you love them, too. Right?"

"Right."

"Well, then," Naruto said, determination darkening his face. "Show everyone that you love them. Prove it to 'em. And prove it to me, while you're at it."

Sasuke looked away, his features pinching into a practiced scowl. "I'll try. I don't want to make any more trouble for myself."

"Good." Fondly, Naruto stared down at Sasuke through the wetness glazing his eyes, his mouth shaping into a wobbly smile. "It'll take me a long time to get used to not having you around all the time. But it'll be worth it in the long run. You'll be a lot happier. And you'll start to forget how it felt to have everyone bickering all the time."

"How will _you _feel about all of this?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes.

Naruto paused, thinking ruefully, but even when he replied, he avoided giving a direct answer.

"You'll be a lot happier," he repeated.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The next few chapters are only around a thousand or so words. Don't be looking forward to much. Also, I may join a writing contest soon, so that'll be taking up some of my time. Adieu.


	16. Clinging

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry for sabotaging my updating schedule, guys, but I wouldn't have time to post this on Saturday. Not much happens in this chapter, but it is a necessary filler. You know. Like those episodes of the anime we all hate. Anyway, I want to thank all of you for your support, even for chapters like this. But now I must bid you adieu, because I am missing a _Phineas and Ferb_ marathon.

* * *

Though Sasuke agreed to trudge downstairs to watch the movie with him, Naruto felt as if Sasuke had only relented to do so in an attempt to dissolve the tension that had arisen since their "talk."

Even as they lounged on the sofa, neither man paid much attention to the dramatically oversized dinosaurs and screaming women that flickered across the small television screen. Naruto stared somewhere above the television set, almost in a daze. Sasuke sat on the other end of the couch, his posture limp and his eyes closed.

When the video tape clicked and the television displayed a square of buzzing static, Naruto jumped and Sasuke stirred with a low snort, awaking from the recesses of sleep.

"Movie's over?" he asked, his voice thick and slow. He blinked tiredly, his eyes soft.

"Yeah." Naruto leaned back into the couch, the growling sound of the television aggravating him, but not enough to convince him that he should get up to turn it off. He couldn't even remember what video tape had been playing, so he decided to not ask Sasuke if he had enjoyed the movie.

"Want anything to eat?" Naruto offered cautiously, glancing sideways at Sasuke––he would propose they do anything, as long as he could hold on to Sasuke for awhile longer before he returned to his family.

Sasuke shook his head in response, his bangs flapping against his cheeks. "No. I don't feel like eating."

_Me, neither, _Naruto added silently. "Something to drink?"

"No."

"Wanna go to the park, then?"

"It's practically midnight. No."

Naruto paused for a brief instant before continuing wistfully, "Come on, Sasuke. Do you wanna play cards or a board game or chess something?"

"_No,_" Sasuke said sharply. "You don't even know how to play chess, Naruto. I don't want to do anything but sit down. I thought you would like to stay here for a few more minutes before I go to bed."

"With you?" Naruto asked tentatively, just to be certain.

"Yeah, with me. We don't _have _to _do_ anything, you know. We can just sit together."

It was unusually generous of Sasuke to suggest such, Naruto noted. That being so, he decided to obey. He sat silently, not moving, fearing that he would disturb Sasuke, who appeared as if he were almost asleep.

It seemed as if the minutes were crawling by––Naruto felt, oddly, as if he were suffocating. Anxiously, he picked at the hem of his shirt, plucking at a loose orange thread. Once he pulled it free, he clasped his hands in his lap, holding them there for a moment before fidgeting around again. Each time he peeked at Sasuke, Sasuke did not notice. He dozed, his elbow pressed against the armrest of the couch and his chin cupped in his palm.

"Sasuke," Naruto blurted, without really intending to. He regretted it as soon as Sasuke's name fell from his lips––it seemed that Sasuke had to force himself to open his eyes, and he turned his head toward Naruto with effort.

"What is it?" he asked wearily.

Uncomfortably, Naruto locked his gaze on the flashing television screen, then on the carpet, then on the ceiling, looking anywhere but Sasuke's expectant face.

He could not ask Sasuke if they could share the couch as a bed, doing as they had done so many times before. Things were different, now, he reminded himself. The both of them probably could not even stretch their legs on the couch without one knocking the other onto the floor, anyway.

"It's nothing," Naruto said, trying to sound cheerful. Pretending as if nothing was upsetting him, he lifted his arms into the air, opening his mouth in an exaggerated yawn that made his jaw pop.

"Man, I'm beat," he announced. "Really. Think I'll go on to bed."

"This _is _your bed," Sasuke said crisply, referring to the sofa. "I'm taking your bed, tonight. Hope you enjoy these ratty old cushions."

He pushed himself up, teetering slightly before regaining his balance, and stalked toward the door. He did not even glance back as Naruto bit his lip nervously before calling out, "Wait a second, you."

Sasuke's back stiffened, and he curled his fingers around the frame of the door, squeezing until his knuckles turned white.

"Yeah?"

Naruto paused, knowing how rude it had been of him to address Sasuke in that manner. He didn't even know why he had spoken. He scraped his mind for something to say, and finally, not knowing what else to do, he asked in a lame joking tone,

"Do you need to use my phone to call the missus?"

"No," Sasuke said without hesitation. "Whatever I have to say to her, there's no reason for you to hear it. Don't be so nosy, you dolt."

Naruto flinched at the habitual insult. "Okay. Just making sure, that's it."

Realizing Naruto was not eager to argue, Sasuke sighed in defeat. "I don't want to talk to her, is all."

Then, as if he could feel Naruto's disapproving glare, he hastened to add: "I just need to gather myself before I talk to her again. I need to think of what I should say. I don't want to call her while I'm still angry."

"But you promise you'll apologize to her, right?" Naruto asked. "That's what I was trying to get you to do this whole time."

"I know," Sasuke said quietly. "I'll go home first thing in the morning. I'll talk to her then."

"Promise?" Naruto repeated sternly, not about to let Sasuke leave without giving him a proper answer.

Sasuke closed his eyes tightly, nodding with a curt jerk of his head. "Sure, whatever."

"Say it."

Sasuke wished he could just burrow beneath the quilts on Naruto's bed to sleep and be blissfully unaware of his problems. But at last, he said through clenched teeth,

"I promise."

_I need to start writing a book of memories, _he thought wryly. _I'll call it _Stupid Promises. _You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now, but again, I probably never will._

* * *

**Author's** **Note: **You guys are so great for putting up with me. Forty-five reviews! To some that may not seem like much, but I can hardly believe it. I am in total ecstasy. Thank you all so much for all your support. Seriously, whenever you leave all this kind feedback I feel like I'm going to cry. Thank you so much!


	17. Slipping Away

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **It is around 3:45 AM as I write this... I can't sleep because I have this disgusting flu, so I got up to pop a Ziacam. And decided to update. This is another chapter that's kind of a filler, but at least it's short, right? The next chapter has a more "major" event: Sasuke's and Naruto's actual parting.

* * *

The next morning greeted the world with soft breaths of cool wind as it gently pulled the blanket of night clouds away. The stars nestled into the sky, invisible behind the warm glow of the orange sun. The treetops were surrounded by halos of light, and the tentative trills and whistles of birds added a certain sort of brightness to the mood.

Naruto, however, could not have been more downcast if thunder rattled outdoors and rain gushed to the ground in liquid bullets.

He wanted––no, he _needed _to say something to Sasuke.

Sasuke sat at the opposite end of the table, spooning mounds of wheat cereal into his mouth as he idly flipped through yesterday's newspaper. Everything was quiet, except for the crunching of cereal and the clinks of silverware against bowls. Sasuke seemed so calm that Naruto wondered if he had forgotten the stressful events of the night before.

"So when do you..." Naruto stopped, and coughed indiscreetly into the crook of his arm to deepen his voice before continuing. "When do you think you'll be going home?"

Sasuke didn't look up, his eyes like lifeless plates of coal behind the pristine lenses of his reading glasses.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned the page of the newspaper, the sheets rustling loudly. "I heard you," he said smoothly. "I may try going home after I finish eating. I didn't drive here, so I'd need to get an early start if I'm walking."

"Oh. I could call Kiba," Naruto offered. "He'll lend you his car. You can take my bike over, if you want. You'll get there faster."

"Then I would have to ride your bicycle to his house, load it into the car, drive back here, drop off the bike, and only then could I go home. Nice plan, dunce. My place isn't _that _far away."

Not to be deterred, Naruto tried once more. "You could take my bike to your house."

"How are you supposed to get it back when I get home?"

Realizing that every suggestion grew more impractical, Naruto fell silent. Sasuke flipped to the obituary section of the newspaper, scanning the articles intently as he sedately chewed another glob of soggy cereal.

Naruto swallowed nervously, jiggling his foot beneath the table and scarcely noticing when his toes brushed against Sasuke's ankle.

"Are you sure you want to leave so soon?" he asked ruefully. "I mean, we could go out for lunch or anything. We could––"

He froze, his mouth going slack around the words as Sasuke angrily thrust the newspaper down to the tabletop. The edge of the page fell into his cereal bowl, turning dark gray as it soaked up the shallow pool of leftover milk. His spectacles slid askew down the bridge of his nose with the violent motion, but he did not bother to remove them.

"Naruto, the whole time I've been here, you've been fussing about me and my wife. You told me dozens of times last night that you're saying goodbye, being a man, and that I should leave right away to go apologize. And now that I'm actually leaving, you won't stop pestering me about staying awhile longer! What is it that you want?"

Naruto drew back into the chair, lifting his shoulders in a defensive shrug, startled by Sasuke's outburst.

"Well?" Sasuke prodded impatiently.

"I... what I _don't _want is for you to go," Naruto admitted softly.

Sasuke halted for a moment, unsure of how to reply. "Buh––but––"

"But nothing," Naruto interjected. "I know it would be right of me to say goodbye, but I don't want to do it."

"It's not like I'm dying," Sasuke said mockingly, recovering. "You're so melodramatic."

"Call it what you want," Naruto said, his tone oddly subdued. "But I'll tell you right now that it ain't really that melodramatic of a guy to hate seeing his best friend leave. Is it?"

Sasuke stared at Naruto over the rims of his glasses for what seemed to be hours. At last, he leaned back, shaking his head in mock pity.

"I'm going to comb my hair and wash up before I go," he said nonchalantly, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. "And you should probably shave, too. In a week you'll have a beard, and trust me, that _will _look stupid."

"Okay." Naruto gazed emptily down at the cheap foam placemat, visually tracing the dents in the flimsy material. "I will."

"I know that some people hate to kiss men with beards," Sasuke added uncomfortably, noticing that Naruto had ceased in attempting to argue.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked glumly.

"It means that girl who follows you around sometimes will be having second thoughts, and you'll lose yet another potential mate by not listening to what people tell you."

"Sasuke," Naruto said with a drained sigh, "just go upstairs and comb that blamed bird's nest of yours."

Feeling somewhat better now that Naruto had snapped at him––_good to see the old spit and fire coming back, _Sasuke thought––Sasuke pushed himself away from the table, standing up. His bare feet moved noiselessly over the cold tile floor, so quietly that Naruto did not even realize he had gone.

* * *

Sasuke would not, nor could he, pretend to be overly concerned about Naruto's impressive "goodbye."

_There's no way he's really going to do it, _Sasuke thought, licking his fingertips. He riffled them through the back of his head, straightening the chunks of hair that had been smashed where he had slept on them and wincing when his fingers snagged a tangle.

_I know Naruto. I know him better than anyone else, and he's all bark with no actual bite. He's a big talker and can spill some shiny promises, but it won't last. It never does. I'll go along with it this time, though, since I've about had my fill of fighting. If he sees that I'm onto him, I'll have to suffer yet another speech, and he kept me up way too long last night._

He leaned over the sink, closer to the mirror, and pressed his thumb against his lower eyelid to pull it down. The skin beneath felt tender and inflamed and was an interesting shade of purple.

_I look like I haven't slept for days, _he noted vaguely. He closed his eyes, and the moisture felt so soothing that he released a quaky sigh. Renewed, he glared at his reflection with determination.

"That's it," he said in a confidential whisper. "I'm playing along with him. By the time this business blows over, he'll be knocking on my door every day, again."

_I'm almost sure of it... almost._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sasuke is, in the simplest way to describe him, a pill. But even the mighty Sasuke can begin to have second thoughts about getting rid of Naruto the Pest. Well... _hasta luego,_ I guess.


	18. Empty

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I'm updating a day early because I'll be busy tomorrow preparing for school. I can't wait to start school next week! Anyway, I'm somewhat ashamed of this chapter, but no matter how many times I revised it, I continued returning to the original version. I don't really know why I'm disappointed in it. Perhaps it seems too over-the-top or exaggerated, but maybe that's just me being overly critical. If you have any suggestions that may help, give them and your generosity will be very much appreciated.

* * *

Naruto felt odd for the remaining duration of the day, much as if he were almost asleep. He did things without noticing, speaking and then promptly forgetting what he had just said, because he simply was too focused on his thoughts to remember. Gray dots had gathered in the corners of his vision, and no matter how hard or rapidly he blinked, they would not fade. His thoughts came slow and thick, as if they had to squeeze through the smallest of holes to be noticed, and Naruto digested each sentiment with all the careful energy he could muster.

His farewell to Sasuke had been brief, and the entire time, Naruto felt detached from what was going on. It was almost as though it had happened to someone else. What seemed most obvious to him, though, was that Sasuke had acted almost smug about the ordeal.

"So... you're going, now, huh," Naruto had said flatly. He stared intently at Sasuke, memorizing every detail, in spite of the fact he had etched them all into memory hundreds of times before.

"I guess so," Sasuke said, almost coyly. As Naruto awkwardly stepped closer, moving his arms to encircle them about Sasuke's shoulders in a parting hug, Sasuke swiftly extended his hand to prevent any unnecessary physical contact.

"I'll see you around." Naruto still could not be certain if those had indeed been Sasuke's words or his––they sounded fuzzy and hollow in his mind.

"Yeah. Maybe." Naruto had relented, taking Sasuke's hand and shaking it sluggishly. Sasuke pulled back after a moment, plunging his thumbs into his hip pockets. Naruto idly wondered if his palms had been sweaty.

"Well..." They had both stood uncomfortably for a minute, each unsure of how to end the lagging conversation. Finally, Sasuke turned to the door, gripping the knob and twisting. The click seemed louder than thunder and impossibly slow.

"'Bye," Sasuke said, tilting his head to the side, raising his eyebrow expectantly.

Trying to think of what Sasuke could be waiting for, Naruto pressed his toe against the chilly cement that crisscrossed between the tiles.

"'Bye," he replied stiffly. He lifted his gaze, startled to see that the slightest of smiles tipped the corner of Sasuke's pale lips. Sasuke just couldn't be glad to return home, leaving Naruto behind––could he?

But before Naruto could question Sasuke's sly grin, Sasuke departed, the glass of the storm door rattling as it slammed shut. Naruto craned his neck, watching emptily as Sasuke leisurely trotted down the narrow concrete sidewalk. He watched until Sasuke disappeared from view, after which he promptly shut the door, dropped on the sofa, and squeezed himself into a small, miserable orange heap.

* * *

Naruto slept away most of his day. He felt somewhat glad he did, because his sleep was neither plagued by nightmares nor riddled with warm dreams. Whenever he woke up, he rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes and willed himself to remember if he truly had said goodbye to Sasuke, or if he had merely mentally rehearsed the scene so many times that it seemed part of reality.

No matter how many times he scrubbed his hand over his closed eyelids, though, he could not fade the image of Sasuke's smirk. But he doubted the validity of that memory, as well––he felt so tired. Tired and strange and very much a fool.

_I wonder if all that before about apologizin' and stuff was just a lie_, Naruto thought. _Maybe he just wanted to be off the hook so I wouldn't badger him anymore._

He rolled to his side, peering at the blank television screen, and he wished he had paid more attention to the movie that had played last night.

_There ain't any use in whining about it now_, he told himself._ I said I'd tell him 'bye, and I did. It was the right thing to do. I knew I'd feel bad about it. And bad is one thing... but why do I feel like my body's moving around and my mind is just switched off?_

He glanced at his hand, and experimentally flexed his fingers. They all moved; just as they normally did. The tendons and bones stretched and relaxed beneath his skin, the deepening wrinkles on his hand softening and growing hard once more. But somehow, Naruto felt as if he were observing the motions of someone else.

The sensation was eerie, and Naruto hated it, but an occurring thought almost made him smile at his own strange reasoning.

_Maybe I feel like this because I'm just half a man, too. Maybe I'm just a body, now. Is my mind in Sasuke? Did I just say goodbye to my brain? It feels so weird. I'm starting to think Sasuke is actually a part of me, like Siamese twins or something else stupid. I feel like I'm thirty pounds heavier and only have three limbs now that he's gone._

_Maybe I've used his mind all this time instead of mine. Do I even have one of my own? It's not like I've ever had much of a chance to find out._

_I wonder if Sasuke feels funny, too._

Feeling mildly comforted, lonesome, and exceedingly confused, Naruto rested his head on the armrest of the sofa and halfheartedly attempted to dip into another fitful sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sometimes chapters like this look okay to me, until I take them out of context. I know what happens next, so it looks fine, but when I post it and it just sits there alone, it looks stupid to me. I really want to post the next chapter to hide this one, but I'm trying to draw it out as long as possible. I'm not sure (and I'm a really bad guesser, remember?), but I think this story may reach twenty-five to thirty chapters. I'm almost finished writing chapter twenty-two.


	19. Suspicions

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **I just love school. I almost didn't even remember about posting this because I was studying. So anyway, as I've said before, not too much happens in this chapter, but it actually is necessary. And I wanted to give Shikamaru a small role. As a heads-up, Sasuke won't make an appearance for a few chapters. (Until chapter twenty-two.)

* * *

"Naruto, may I ask what's wrong with you?"

Shikamaru leaned over the edge of Naruto's desk, his expression compacted in his characteristic scowl. The way his hair had been scraped away from his face in an upright ponytail only made his eyes look sharper and more threatening.

"What's wrong?" Naruto repeated, licking his thumb to riffle through a stack of insurance forms. "I dunno. I didn't know anything was wrong. Maybe some people see things as being wrong when nothing's wrong at all. What _is _wrong?"

Anyone else would have become exasperated by Naruto's dogged attempt at avoiding being forced to explain, but Shikamaru only shook his head.

"You know what's wrong," he said. "You've been here at work _on time _every day this week, and what's more, you're actually doing your job instead of wandering around, talking to everyone."

"Oh! That." Naruto laughed uncomfortably, but his chuckle sounded fake, as if he were politely laughing after the telling of a joke that did not amuse him in the slightest. "Well, I decided I'm lucky to have this job, and I want to do my best to make sure I'm deserving my paycheck. How's that for a great explanation, huh, Shik?"

Shikamaru blinked, his eyebrows lowering in disbelief. "You did not just say that. Tell me you didn't. That's something a mature adult would say. Not someone... you know. Like you."

Naruto waved dismissively, pressing the toe of his loafer against the floor for anchorage as he spun around in his swivel chair. With his back toward Shikamaru and his nose buried in the middle of a manila folder, his reply became muffled almost to the point of incoherence.

"Everyone grows up, Shikamaru," he said witheringly, his tone suggesting that Shikamaru, of all people, should have known that.

Shikamaru stared quizzically at a space between Naruto's shoulders for a long moment, before finally pushing himself away from the desk.

"Okay-y-y," he said with a reluctant sigh, drawing out the word in confusion. "I'm glad you've figured that out, Naruto."

"Yeah. Me, too," Naruto muttered. He pressed his face deeper into the folder, so close to the pages that he could no longer read the text. It swam in gray streaks before him, and his head began to ache, dull pain clanging behind his brow and ringing in his ears.

"Can you go?" Naruto asked, curbing his annoyance. "I kinda need to get these papers filed."

"Sure," said Shikamaru, bewildered. He took small backwards steps that led him out of Naruto's cubicle, and paused in the doorway. "See you later, then."

"Yeah. Same here." Naruto had made a rather foolish vow to himself, promising that he would never say the word "goodbye" again. It still left a sour taste in his mouth and made his tongue curl.

"Wait––care to join me and Chōji for lunch?" Shikamaru asked on impulse. "We talked about going to that new noodle bar."

"Um..." Naruto briefly considered the offer, wishing Shikamaru would hurry away. "Naw. I probably shouldn't. I might eat a sandwich or something when I go home. Thanks, though. Tell Chōji I said 'hi'."

"Will do." Shikamaru dipped his head in farewell before turning away, padding down the empty carpeted hall. Naruto leaned back in his chair to watch, making sure Shikamaru was gone before he dropped the folder. He did not even bother to switch off the computer before abruptly standing up, his chair rolling halfway across the cubicle. He felt mildly ill as he eased his hands into his slack pockets, strolling casually past the many closed cubicles and barely noticing when Kin poked her head over the top of a divider.

"Where are you going, Mr. Uzumaki?" she asked curiously, her voice soft.

"Home," Naruto said flatly. Then, when Kin's smile faltered, he quickly added, "I'm not feeling good. It's almost time for lunch, anyway."

"Oh." Kin looked worried for a short moment before recovering. "Okay. I hope you feel better."

"Thanks. See you next week."

Naruto hurried down the hall, the carpets plush beneath his feet. He swept through the lobby and shoved his way out the door, sucking in a mouthful of the cool fresh air.

_I probably should go with Shikamaru and Chōji_, he thought, a mild sense of guilt finding its way into his mind, despite the effort he put into ignoring it. _I don't think I even have bread at home to make a sandwich. _

He meandered along the walkway, his gaze locked on the concrete ground. He almost tripped over the chain that bound his bicycle to the rack, not realizing he had traveled to the end of the sidewalk so soon, and he flailed for balance, his necktie flipping over his shoulder with the violent motion.

"Stupid!" Regaining his footing, he swiftly kicked the rear tire of his bicycle, and it rattled warningly. His toe nearly became caught in the wide spokes, but he hastily stumbled back before the potential accident could happen.

_Today hates me, _he thought melodramatically. Tentatively, he leaned over to grasp the rubber handlebars, swinging his leg over the seat. He settled himself for a moment, as if to test the bicycle's sturdiness, and upon being certain that he would not topple to the ground, pushed away. Momentum carried him down the slope of the parking lot, and he weaved through the rows of vehicles, shortly disappearing from sight.

* * *

"Not to sound too concerned or anything, but I'm kind of wondering about that Naruto," said Shikamaru. He lounged against the wall, his ankles crossed and his eyes half-closed.

"Really?" Chōji paused in his rapid typing, his short fingers hovering above the keyboard as he turned to look at his coworker. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing's actually _wrong, _so to say," Shikamaru admitted. "It's just that he's been acting a little different. I would never notice if I didn't see him practically every day, but from what I can tell, he acts a bit more laid back than he used to. Not as hyper. Acting his age. Just _older._"

"Older?" Chōji echoed. His round freckled face fell into a lumpy frown of confusion. "In what way?"

"I can't really think of exactly what it is." Shikamaru disliked being clueless as to what could be bothering Naruto.

"What makes you think there's anything wrong, then?" asked Chōji. No one else would dare to question the intelligent Shikamaru, fearing what could happen as a result, but Chōji always felt comfortable enough around Shikamaru to be more blunt than usual.

"You'd have to see for yourself, Chōji," Shikamaru said, a sigh pulling out his droning voice. "He turned me down when I invited him to lunch with us. He didn't even have another appointment or anything. He said he'd go home to eat."

"That is unlike him," Chōji agreed. "I don't know him that well, but it does sound unusual."

"Yeah." Shikamaru tilted his head to the side, absentmindedly rubbing his fingertips into his hair. "But I'm not going pry into it. Maybe it's midlife crisis. None of my business, anyway. Butting into other people's lives is bothersome, and unnecessary to boot."

"What if it's something big?" Chōji asked anxiously, suddenly growing worried. "He could be depressed or something. It's common in people our age, you know. Or he could've started dating again. Maybe it's a relationship that he's upset over."

"I dunno," said Shikamaru, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Like I told you, it's none of my business. Just you drop it and don't worry."

"If you say so," Chōji said warily. "But I wish I could talk to him."

"I wouldn't if I were you," Shikamaru said dryly. He smothered a yawn against his palm before rocking forward on the balls of his feet, bending his back in a stretch. "Anyway, he's already left."

"I didn't say I was _going _to," Chōji admitted. "But if he needs help, I want to make sure somebody gives it to him. Even if someone just listens to him explain, it still helps. I know you think it's probably nothing, but sometimes, the people who need help the most try to keep it a secret."

Shikamaru stared at the computer screen behind Chōji, looking bored with their conversation as if they had been discussing the weather. He stayed quiet for so long Chōji began to fidget, embarrassed by his speech.

"Don't fuss over it," he said at last. "Naruto's not smart, but he's not stupid, either. If he's going through something, he'll manage to pull out of it. And anyway, he and that old Sasuke Uchiha are best friends. Do you really think someone strict and no-nonsense as _Sasuke _would put up with any funny business? No," Shikamaru answered for Chōji, "Sasuke would slap Naruto out of whatever slump he's in. I'm pretty sure of that, at least."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm kind of ashamed to admit it after adhering to my schedule for so many weeks, but after I post a couple more chapters, I might not be able to post one every week. Between school and family activities and chores, I don't believe I'll have a lot of extra time to write. I'll still continue trying to write at least a few paragraphs a day, but I can't guarantee I will.


	20. Surviving All Alone

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR  
**

**Author's Note: **I feel terrible about saying this, but during this past week, I have written absolutely nothing. Normally I can write at least 5000 words per week, and that's my being lazy. But school has given me no extra time whatsoever. And if I can't write, no new chapters of _any _of my stories will be posted. These chapters I had written in advance, and I have one more I wrote before school. But I haven't been able to work on this story at all.

So my point is (and I hate doing it), there may come a point when this story will be put on a hiatus. I can't say for sure and if so, when, but I'm saying it's a very real possibility. I certainly won't abandon it, but I may resort to posting one chapter a month instead of one each week. I'm sorry for any disappointment, but school is more important to me right now.

* * *

"I knew I didn't have bread," Naruto muttered. He edged further into the pantry, squinting up at the top shelf. Gray dust coated the metal lids of jars and covered cans of various sauces; he could not remember the last time he had even ventured to look at the upper shelves.

He backed out of the small closet, sighing dejectedly as he closed the door. _If Sasuke were here, he could cook someth––_

He stopped himself from finishing the thought. He refused to mope any longer––Sasuke did not belong to him; therefore, he could not control Sasuke's actions or life. It was Naruto's fault he had never learned how to do anything in the kitchen except boil water for instant noodles. He supposed all he could do was try to fumble his way through the preparation of a simple meal with the assistance of a recipe book.

_I definitely should have gone to lunch with Chōji and Shikamaru, _he thought wryly. _'Course, I didn't really think about that, either, now did I?_

He glanced at the clock suspended on the wall, his eyes following the steady motion of the thin black hands. _Maybe it's not too late to see if they're still there. And if they aren't, I can always buy my own lunch. I'd much rather go to a restaurant than make something for myself. At least then I'd know I'd still be alive the next day. All I need is to have a headline in the newspaper about a guy giving himself food poisoning from a sandwich._

Feeling comforted by his decision, he reached up to absentmindedly loosen his necktie and unfasten the top plastic button of his shirt collar. As he passed the small kitchen table, he snatched his sports jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged into it.

"No need to stay in those other stiff clothes if I'm eating alone," he said out loud, his tone awkwardly joking. He snapped off the ceiling light, the kitchen going dim and the pilot light on the stove spilling an eerie blue glow through the room.

Naruto hastened to rush away, slipping through the front door and nearly snagging the cuff of his slacks on the frame. His hurried movements startled the stray cats that prowled the flowerbeds in search of vermin, and they leaped from the masses of shrubbery, seeming to inflate as their coats of fur stood on end.

"Sorry," he apologized, barely acknowledging the loud hisses and yowls of protest. He had always left bowls of scraps and leftover food on his porch for the cats, but had not really found the extra time to do so in the past couple of weeks. The more he pondered, the more he realized he had been allowing many of his other home chores to go untouched. Even the grass of his lawn stood tall and was speckled with yellow weeds and clover where he had neglected to mow.

"Maybe I have been spending too much time at the office, lately," he admitted. He clambered onto his bicycle, and as he shoved himself forward, planting his heels on the pedals, he wondered if it would be wiser to finally invest in a vehicle.

_Might as well consider it, _he thought. _I just always believed I'd have Sasuke to drive me wherever I want to go. But the exercise certainly doesn't do me any harm. _

His stomach felt as if it were tightening with hunger, and he anxiously clenched his teeth into his lower lip before pedaling more quickly. The cluster of cats collectively sat to watch as he rattled down the curb.

* * *

By the time Naruto guided his bicycle into a suitable parking area in front of the restaurant, he was heaving for breath, doubled over the handlebars with his mouth halfway open.

_Yeah, _he thought sarcastically. _Definitely getting too old for this. _

Mustering what dignity he felt he still possessed, he straightened, pulling his fingers through his overgrown bangs and rearranging the rough strands. As he tidied his windblown hair, he peered around the small lot encompassing the restaurant. Countless cars lined the front of the restaurant, the building neatly tucked between a row of lampposts. Though the restaurant was new and clean, it gave off an aura of "high class" that Naruto felt uncomfortable with.

_It is nice here, _he thought. _I wouldn't come all the time, though. Lemme see if I can find old Shikamaru's van..._

He scrutinized the lines of vehicles, squinting against the gleams of the bumpers and hubcaps. Upon spotting no distinctive blue hood, his expression shriveled in an indignant grimace and he lifted his arm to glare down at the tiny face of his watch.

_Maybe Chōji already ate the manager, _he thought sourly. _Well, I couldn't pay for a meal at this joint, anyway! I'll just go down to Ichiraku's. It's been awhile since I've eaten there, and shoot, I even miss the old man._

Wearily, Naruto pressed his feet against the pavement, propelling himself forward and listening to the lonely shriek of wind in his ears.

* * *

Naruto felt much more at ease in Ichiraku's noodle bar. No one sat at the counter, and every chair stood empty. Teuchi and Ayame, the restaurant's owner and his daughter, seemed to be the only living beings around.

As kind as they had always shown themselves toward him, Naruto did not feel eager to speak with either Teuchi or Ayame. He sneaked through the door, clenching his fists around his jacket in an attempt to look as small as possible. Though he had always been short and rather bulky, he still could not manage to escape Teuchi's welcoming eyes.

"Hello, Naruto!" the elderly man greeted, pausing in his task of peeling carrots. "Haven't seen you in a while! Where've you been, boy?"

Naruto grinned apologetically, but found he could not maintain the expression for long. "Sorry for not coming sooner. I planned on it, but always got sidetracked. But I needed a big bowl of soup today, so I thought I'd get it from the best possible place."

Teuchi laughed in appreciation, pleased by the compliment. "Ayame and I've missed seeing you. Have a seat, Naruto."

Rather than collapse in his customary place on the last padded stool at the counter, Naruto located a cozy booth tucked in the back of the restaurant and squeezed himself in. He glanced around expectantly, absentmindedly watching cars zip past down the road in blurs of sharp color. It was not until Ayame trotted up with a notepad in hand that anyone commented on Naruto's abnormal behavior.

"You're quiet today," she remarked, extracting a pencil from the pocket of her apron. Her pretty face betrayed her concern as she habitually flipped through her notebook in search of a clean page.

"Where's your friend?" she asked on impulse, suddenly realizing how odd Naruto looked sitting alone, a neatly dressed lump on a bench meant for two.

"Which friend?" Naruto asked in a nervous attempt at joking, jiggling his foot beneath the table. His heart sank even as he teased Ayame, remembering Sasuke was the only of his friends patient enough to endure eating at the ramen restaurant numerous times each week.

Ayame waggled her pencil at Naruto in mock rebuke. "You know which one. The moody black-haired fellow. The nice-looking one."

"Oh, him!" Naruto made a show of slapping the table as if just realizing. "You mean Sasuke. He's busy. Got other things to do. Maybe he'll come later, I dunno. Know what I mean?"

Sensing that something was bothering Naruto, Ayame tactfully avoided any further pursuit of information. "Well, then," she said lightheartedly, trying to regain Naruto's approval, "what'll you have? You said soup. The usual?"

"Actually... I think I might just have a couple of rice balls."

Ayame stared at him curiously before raising her shoulders in the slightest of shrugs. She scribbled on her pad, the pencil scratching noisily against the grainy paper, before turning away in a flurry of apron strings and long brown hair.

Naruto clicked his teeth into his bottom lip to withhold a sigh, slinging his arms over his chest and slouching down in his seat. His jacket squeaked against the leather cushion, bunching up behind his back.

The restaurant was full of silence. Normally he piled into the only empty booth available with Sasuke, laughing and raising his voice to be heard over the chattering of thirty other people. He hated this stifling, stale emptiness.

He turned his head, joints cracking as he craned his neck. He peered at his reflection in the window until he ached, and finally, he leaned back, fixing his gaze on the ceiling. He felt dissatisfied, wondering what it was that he missed seeing.

_His eyes, _Naruto realized, inspiration making his heart beat more quickly.

Whenever he spoke to Sasuke, he felt compelled to look into his eyes. Otherwise, he was not convinced his words were being taken into consideration. Even when their conversations lagged, he would stare into Sasuke's eyes just to be comforted by that subtle glow of affection. Sasuke's eyes reminded him of black stones twinkling in the bed of a sun-warmed brook.

Sleepily, Naruto pressed his elbows to the tabletop, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on his knuckles.

Every day proved to him just exactly how much he missed his best friend.

_How __much longer will this go on? _Naruto wondered. Miserably, he folded his arms over the table, burying his nose in the bends of his elbows and closing his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know I've said it many times before, but thank you all for your support. I hope you will continue to follow this story, even if it becomes delayed.

Also, I encourage you to leave feedback, but I will not be able to answer any reviews for the time being. I will be out of town for a week with no access to a computer, but I will reply to each of you when I return. Thank you for your patience!


	21. Enlightening Discovery

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Ahh, it's been... what, two weeks since I updated this thing? I have no idea. But it should be finished soon, if I can keep writing. Trust me, guys, I'm trying. I'm guessing I have around five chapters left? The estimate keeps changing, I know. But once it's over, I will be _free. _Free to start a whole other story...

* * *

It occurred to Naruto that everything seemed brighter when his heart swelled with cheer. When he smiled, the sky became a richer shade of blue, the clouds seemed whiter, and he no longer noticed the foul-smelling smog, the obnoxious racket of traffic, or the suffocating heat.

His mood affected how he perceived the world. That realization bothered him immensely, because he was beginning to understand that, as long as his attitude was sour, his life would be likewise. He had no desire to be another cranky middle-aged man who peeked out of his window to shout at children who trod on his lawn.

He felt tired and exceedingly bored. Wearily, he hooked his thumbs over his loose belt, dragging the soles of his loafers over the sidewalk. The rubber sliding over rough cement made an annoying _skrriitch _sound. He watched an ant scurry past, struggling to drag a leaf along behind it.

Naruto had decided to pay a visit to the local park. He had went there so many times before; he could not remember how many hours he had spent draped over the high bars of the jungle gym, staring upside down at the picture book-like scenery. Watching geese trail over the glassy surface of the lake had always calmed him when emotions raged in a turmoil through his mind.

_I can't keep on feeling sorry for myself, _Naruto thought. _I'm not some stupid guy whining over a breakup with his girlfriend. I'm bigger than that! I'm not one to throw pity parties. Never been. When something's wrong, I've always tried to find a way to fix it._

An unfamiliar voice in his mind said, _Get real, Naruto! What are you thinking?_

Naruto paused, tilting his head and knitting his eyebrows. _What _am _I thinking? I don't know anymore._

The voice sounded even louder, as if Naruto had just caught his own attention. _Are you proposing that you just... move on? Sasuke's been awful to you. He lied to you. He cheated you. He's been ignoring you. And yet you want to just keep living like nothing's wrong? Why let Sasuke get off scot-free?_

_Sasuke shouldn't live happily while you feel like every day is a repeat of the last. That's not fair. It'll never be fair, and you know it. You just deny it. Why even try to be the good guy anymore? No one notices._

Naruto's eyes widened, pinpricks of ice in a face flushed with cold. He glanced left and right nervously. He refused to believe he himself had allowed such thoughts to fester within him––surely someone was speaking to him and he had merely overlooked them. The voice sounded so _real,_ dry and depressed, a drone of utter hopelessness.

"Hello?" he called. The sidewalk was empty. The thick boughs of evergreen trees rustled above him, sunlight filtering through their needles and casting odd patterns of yellow over the shaded curb. Birds twittered and warbled overhead in the branches, their wings beating the air occasionally as they preened. But no people were in sight, none other than they who drove their vehicles over the smooth roadway.

Naruto lifted his hands, curling his fingers into the thinning hair along his temples. "I'm not gonna believe any of this," he muttered. "It ain't true. So Sasuke might've ignored me a little. And maybe he did lie to me a couple of times. But I ain't gonna dwell on what he did wrong. I'm gonna remember how much fun we had together and all the nice things he's done for me. That's what I'll do."

But his conscience––the part of it he wished did not exist––continued to prod at him. _You're the one who has to suffer the hurt of losing a best friend, not Sasuke. You have to go through every hour knowing that pain and not having anyone to share it with. And your dear Sasuke stays at home, mending his relationship with his beautiful wife and daughter._

His thoughts steadily grew more bitter and sarcastic. Naruto knew they were wrong. He did not truly feel that way about Sasuke, did he? He had purposely made the choice to bid Sasuke farewell, because he knew without doubt his decision would be of most benefit. Sasuke had not left on his own accord. Naruto had made him. But Sasuke had not truly attempted to stay behind.

_You can't let him get off scot-free, _the voice––his conscience––repeated. _None of this is fair. It hurts so bad. Why can't Sasuke hurt, too? Why does he get by without all the aches and worries?_

Naruto rubbed his palm over his eyes, stubbornly trying to focus on the pleasant sounds of nature in the park rather than the sniveling voice of his mind.

"I don't know," he said aloud. "Sasuke's... always been strong. He doesn't like crying or letting others see any kind of weakness in him. But maybe... maybe he's hurting, too. I just can't be angry with him. He's got things to work out, problems that I don't have."

He sighed quietly, extending his hand to trail his fingers over the rough back of a bench. Crusty flecks of green paint crumbled free from the old wood, tiny flakes sticking to Naruto's skin. He wiped his hand on the front of his stiff new jeans and walked slowly past the bench, further into the park. He barely even tensed with surprise when a fat chipmunk darted across his path, almost beneath his foot. It stopped a few meters away, raising onto its chubby hind legs, its cheeks bulging with tiny acorns.

The deeper Naruto ventured into the park, following the narrow sandy trails, the more confused he felt. Clouds scuttled over the sun, and Naruto shivered in the folds of his oversized sweater. He kicked at piles of fallen leaves, scowling slightly as they scattered over the ground. They rattled as they fell, dry and lifeless, to the earth.

_I wish I could get rid of my problems just as easily, _Naruto thought, watching as a sudden gentle gust of wind sent the curled brown leaves skittering over the ground. He shuddered. _What's wrong with me, lately? I've always been a happy guy. This thing with Sasuke must go a lot deeper than I believed. Surely I ain't that much of a sissy. I can live on my own without constant supervision from my best friend!_

He stopped in his steps abruptly, his toes almost over the edge of the riverbank. He would only have stumbled, as the drop to the ground was not long. His gaze traced the pattern the loose clods of dirt took as they broke from the side of the short overhang, each small piece of soil dropping with a hollow _plunk _into the water below.

Without really pausing to consider, Naruto bundled his sweater more tightly around himself and sank to the wet grassy ground, crossing his legs and struggling to remove his too-tight loafers and holey socks. Idly, he dangled his legs over the edge of the bluff, tentatively dipping his toes into the water and jerking upright in shock from the sharp coldness.

As he recovered, he stared down at his blurry reflection, ripples marring his image until it became an unrecognizable haze of color. He loved how clear the shallow water looked; one could see the silty bottom and count the shiny pebbles that winked in the light. Occasionally a fat minnow would wriggle by, its scales sparkling like tiny silver coins.

Naruto felt his lips curve in a smile as he pressed his toe into the chilly mud surrounding the sides of the river. He absentmindedly drew shapes and lines, not paying attention to his handiwork, focusing instead on the fish that darted through the mirror-like water.

_I wonder what Sasuke's doing right now, _he thought. _Is he working in his garden? Is he eating supper? Is he watching television? _

_No, _he answered his own question, _he's probably playing with Yoko. If I had a kid, I'd stay with him––or her––all the time. I think I'd like taking care of a kid. Maybe I _should_ get married––though I've never had much luck with women. If I had a family to look out for, I could understand how Sasuke thinks now._

Almost angrily, he clenched his fists in his lap. _For goodness' sake, does every thing in the world remind me of Sasuke? Even marriage! Am I obsessive or something, for cryin' out loud?_

He exhaled wearily, the breeze swirling his bangs. Tiredly, he glanced down at the river, and instantly, his eyes grew round, his heart feeling as if it were sinking down into his stomach. He had, without realizing, written "_SASUKE_" in the mud.

Embarrassed, he glanced about to ensure no one had seen, and once certain he was alone, stood up. He stamped his bare foot into the mud where he had written, forcing his weight downward, almost satisfied by how the grit tickled as it squished in ridges around and between his toes.

His satisfaction was short-lived, however, as he noticed he had missed smearing away the last three letters of Sasuke's name. His face darkened, not entirely from the frigid air, and he put all the effort he could muster into shoving his heel into the mud. Hidden bits of gravel tore at his callused skin, but he no longer worried.

He glared at the ground, breathing heavily, sweat prickling his pink cheeks. Fury surged within him, his pulse thrumming in his wrists and neck.

_I _am _going to move on, no matter what anyone says, _he thought viciously. _I love Sasuke, just like family, and I'll never forget about him, but I'm not going to let what happened mess up my life. I can't be mad at him for marrying, because it's not his fault. He's not the one who made his wife hate me so much._

_As long as I'm angry, I can't be happy. And I don't want to always think of Sasuke as being responsible for my unhappiness. I decide how I feel, not him, not anyone, and not anymore. I don't need to be miserable over this. I can forgive Sasuke, and I'll forgive his wife, too._

_I forgive 'em both, and I'll love 'em no matter what._

* * *

**Author's Note: **If you thought the "conversation" between Naruto and his hidden thoughts was like the canon Naruto's conversations with his hidden tailed beast Kyuubi... then you're right. That's exactly what I was aiming for and I did not pull it off well at all. But that's the first time I've tried it, so I can only get better. I hope this chapter did not leave a sour taste after the time you've waited to read it.

As an added note, there is no need to explain the poor joke about Sasuke's name. I would apologize for it, but the thing is, I couldn't bear to leave it out. If I'm not putting real NaruSasu in here, I may as well do as Masashi Kishimoto does: squeeze as many hints in as possible without ever really doing anything.


	22. A Bit of Brightness

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **_Holy guacamole when was the last time I posted - _I mean, yessir, I've been tackling this story again. I wrote over 3000 words this week, and next chapter, Naruto and Sasuke meet again. Then it seriously, I promise this time, will start to dwindle down until it's at last over. I know I've said that like... every chapter so far. And this is another kinda filler-ish chapter. It mostly just shows how Sasuke's living now without Naruto. And I wanted to write a bit about Yoko, because she's a baby and babies are kinda cute.

* * *

The house seemed to swell with silence. The creaking of the old walls and snapping of the windows in the late evening wind echoed heavily, each sudden noise breaking the quiet abruptly enough to make Sasuke flinch.

With a soft sigh that stung the insides of his cheeks and made his throat burn, Sasuke stretched one muscled arm over the back of the sofa and twisted the knob on the reading lamp. Bright light spilled from beneath the feathered shade, and shadows stretched unevenly behind every article of furniture. Sasuke stared at his own shadow that spread over the buttery carpet, his dark eyes tracing the outline of his jagged tufts of hair.

From somewhere outside came the melancholy coo of a mourning dove. Sasuke tilted his head, his bangs tickling against his jaw as he listened. The bird's call sounded almost like bitter, breathy laughter, and it sent tingles down the back of Sasuke's shirt.

Uncomfortably, Sasuke shifted on the plush sofa cushions, closing his fingers more tightly around the bottom of his book. The yellowed pages rustled, a soft noise Sasuke had always found pleasant. But oddly, as he skimmed the lines of melodic poetry, he could not relax or relish the beautiful words. Rather, he felt his chest tighten, and no emotional rush nor feeling of comfort swept over him as he fitfully attempted to read a tragic poem about a dying man's last bittersweet monologue to his lover. Naruto had always teased him over the matter of his reading such gloomy literature.

At last, he snapped the book shut, the plastic-encased cover gleaming in the light but sounding far-off to his clogged ears. As he carefully placed the book on the glass dining table, almost fearful of making noise, a feeling of strangeness festered within him.

Trying to ignore the eerie sensation, Sasuke stood up, padding silently through the parlor and groping his way through the dark kitchen. He blindly found the staircase, his fingers curling around the banister, and slowly climbed upwards, prodding about with his toe before resting his weight on any step.

At the top of the stairway, faint light glowed in a thin strip from beneath the bedroom door. Sasuke stealthily bypassed the bedroom, venturing further into the dim hall. The nursery door at the end stood open, a soft pink light filtering through into the hall from a lamp.

Sasuke lingered in the doorway for a brief moment, his eyes soaking in the brightness. He made no audible sound as he crept closer, splaying his hand over the wall for support as he tiptoed. He stretched his back to gain height enough to peer over the edge of the small crib, anxiously surveying his sleeping daughter.

"Yoko?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. A shadow briefly flitted past the window, chattering shrilly, and Sasuke nearly lost his balance in surprise. His heart drumming rapidly in his ears, he glanced toward the window, and realized it had only been a bat fluttering clumsily past, its scalloped wings silhouetted before the moon.

Sasuke shook his head, winded by fright. Rarely was he so skittish––he had been told having fathering children revealed to men the more sensitive, softer things of life. Was he becoming a weakling, affected even by the most trivial disturbances?

_I must be turning into a real sissy_, Sasuke thought sourly._ It's a good thing no one else is around to see me jumping at every little noise._

A high-pitched squeal of panic tore upward from inside the crib, making Sasuke jerk up his shoulders defensively. _No one except my own daughter,_ he added grudgingly, as Yoko began to whimper. _The one person who really doesn't need to see her father being childish._

"I'm just checking on you," he crooned comfortingly, edging closer to the crib. At the sight of his face, Yoko paused in her fitful wailing, her pudgy fists freezing in place above her head. Her eyes glittered in recognition, and a crooked sort of smile formed on her mouth. Sasuke snorted in laughter before he could smother it.

"You know who smiles like that?" he asked. "Naruto. He smiles like he's been doing it so long he can't stop. It's the stupidest thing, I'll tell you."

Yoko eagerly raised her hands toward Sasuke as he leaned over, carefully lifting her from her place burrowed in the soft cotton sheets. She jerkily waved her arms, her fat knuckles bumping against Sasuke's chin. He winced as she buried her short fingers into his bangs, and gently grasped her hand in an attempt at prying it from his hair.

"You've got a mean streak, don't you?" Sasuke squeezed one eye shut, and Yoko screamed with delight. "Come on, now. Father needs his hair for as long as he can keep it."

At last, Yoko released the clump of his hair, her attention wandering to his shirt collar. She pressed her round cheek against his neck, her movements uncoordinated as she poked the corner of his collar into her mouth. She chewed away nonchalantly on the fabric as Sasuke carried her to the corner, hooking his foot beneath the rung of a padded chair and pulling it around. He sat down heavily, the headrest of the chair pressing sharply into his back. Shifting uncomfortably, he rearranged Yoko on his lap, holding her round sides and balancing her on his knee.

"You like that?" he asked, idly bouncing her up and down. Yoko's tufts of downy hair flipped over her large forehead, and she gurgled merrily, raising her hands and waving them awkwardly in wild glee.

Despite being in the pleasant company of his daughter, there still lingered in Sasuke's mind the dreary heaviness of being lonesome. In an attempt to rid himself of it, he bounced Yoko more quickly, her loud screeching laughter cheering him. But no matter how happily she cooed and clung to his knee, the hollow space Sasuke felt only seemed to deepen.

_Maybe I should go lay down_, he thought tiredly, raising his hand to rub at his forehead, keeping Yoko steady with his free hand. _I wish I could find out how to get rid of this nasty flu. I've never been sick like this before. Taking a few aspirin would probably be a good idea. Then maybe I could stay asleep one whole night._

Sleepily, he leaned back in the chair, his scalp stinging from Yoko's constant yanking at his hair. It relieved him to close his eyes, and Yoko's weight on his lap and the warmth radiating from her small body calmed him. She smelled of baby powder and laundry detergent, a combination of pleasant scents that made Sasuke want to sigh with the appreciation of being a father. On impulse, he folded his arms around Yoko protectively, pulling her closer against him. He felt her heart beat against his chest, and the rhythm was steady and deep. The first thought to strike him was how often he had felt a similar heartbeat pulsing gently against his neck.

_It's strange_, he mused,_ how I can have everything in the world, and still be missing something. What is it I don't have that's keeping me up at night and not letting me smile at things that used to be nice? Everyone's jealous of me, for a good reason: I have a beautiful wife, a healthy daughter, the biggest house this side of the city, and still, I don't have something that I need. Something... something..._

But inside, buried beneath the doubt and discomfort, he knew what had disappeared that he missed so much, and what he needed to relieve the ache of loneliness. He really just wanted to forget about him. He squeezed Yoko more tightly, wishing he could simply stop thinking. Yoko could sleep peacefully, without worrying over things beyond her control. The faith she didn't even know she had made Sasuke envious.

"Want to know something, Yoko?" he asked quietly, leaning down until his words became muffled against the top of Yoko's silky round head. "You really might be all the 'sunshine' I have left. The rest of it was in one stupid blond head, and where it's gone, I have no idea."

Not understanding Sasuke's display of wry remorse, Yoko settled herself on his lap, sliding lower beneath his arms. With profound interest she patted the roughened backs of Sasuke's hands as if doing so would make him release her. At last, she abandoned hope of being deposited in the floor to crawl about, and began to gum Sasuke's thumb drowsily.

Sasuke shut his eyes, blocking out all sensation save the one of hugging his daughter.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'd really love to post some _Hitman Reborn! _fics, but my figurative plate is full. So maybe sometime? Just as a side note, Yoko does play a little role in helping Naruto and Sasuke get back together. I'm thinking of posting a _Phineas and Ferb _short story next. Perryshmirtz maybe?


	23. A Place Known as Home

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **Late again. I'm trying to hurry, but I wrote half of this in one day. Not so many shippy moments in this chapter, but hey, they meet up again! I'm thinking of a semisweet ending. Maybe some mushy stuff. I still need to think about it.

* * *

"Well, I've put it off for as long as I can," Naruto announced. He stood up dramatically, spreading his hands over the tabletop. His tabby cat automatically glanced up, staring at him through cloudy green eyes and looking exceedingly bored.

"Yup, Nine, you heard me." Naruto wagged his finger in front of Nine's leathery pink nose. "I've got to go shopping."

Nine opened its mouth, curling its tongue against long white teeth in a wide yawn.

"You only do that 'cause you don't _have _to go," said Naruto in admonishment. Stifling a yawn of his own, he patted his palm lightly against the cat's firm round head, rubbing the sprouting whiskers.

He had become quite fond of the bronze tabby, ever since it had sneaked through the half-open front door and found its way into the bedroom. Naruto had happened upon it while gathering clothes to launder; he lifted a pile of wadded shirts, and, looking rather like some sort of crazed tiger, the cat shot between Naruto's legs to find refuge beneath the bed. It crept out only by means of very patient coaxing and strips of cold leftover sardine, and since had become considerably protective of Naruto. Naruto had chosen to name it "Nine" after the number of hours it felt as though it took to convince it to eat from his hand.

"My cupboards are bare," Naruto continued, "and that means yours are, too. I'm thinking about having instant noodles for supper. What about you, huh?"

The cat wearily dropped its chin to its forepaws, as if it had grown tired of pretending to agree. Its yellow ears folded back against its crown, and Naruto knew the one-sided discussion was entirely over.

"Suit yourself," he said, raising his shoulders in a thoroughly unconcerned manner. He reached over Nine's flattened back, plucking his jacket from its place crumpled into the seat of the one empty chair. Ignoring the cat as it rolled to its side, stretching its limber legs over the tabletop, he shrugged into his jacket and zipped it up to ward off the icy gale he knew would sweep past as soon as he stepped outside.

"'Bye, Nine." With that brief farewell and sentiment he was certain would not be appreciated, Naruto left, leaving Nine to purr contentedly in the comfort of silence and solitude.

* * *

_I hate shopping. Why do I have to come here and pay some stranger for food so I can stay alive?_

Though Naruto entered the market in a cheerful mood, he felt increasingly sour as he surveyed the prices attached to the metal shelves. _Surely this stuff ain't gone up even higher than it was last week... I'm not getting a raise every few days, you know._

He pressed his fingers to the cold top of a tin can of albacore and spun it around to peer at the price stamped on. In disgust he pushed it away.

_I guess Nine ain't getting any of this––we can surely well share a pack of noodles. _He crouched, shifting his attention to the bottom shelf where bottles of various sodas were arranged according to the label color. Later, as he reminisced over that moment, he wondered how he would even be recognizable to anyone, knees tucked against his chest, his blond head hidden beneath the hood of his jacket, hunched low to the ground while pondering which flavor of soda to choose.

He was just ready to pull a heavy yellow bottle from the shelf when, from somewhere behind him, he heard the quietest grunt of startled surprise. He did not know why he felt so compelled to turn around, but before he could stop himself, he craned his neck to peek behind him. Simultaneously, his jaw slackened and his eyes grew bright with a new-found interest. Underneath the front of his jacket, he felt his heart lurch and tighten, sucking his breath from his lungs.

"Sasuke!"

There was no mistaking the straight figure, the man who stood with his shoulders rounded and his back held in perfect posture. Cradled in his arms and clinging to his worn collar was a fat, dimpled child, with thick soft hair and a kittenish smile. Though her ruddy face glowed with happiness, her father's expression was a strong portrayal of utter confusion and shock.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke blinked, holding his daughter carefully against his chest. His tone suggested that it surprised him more to discover Naruto in the market than if he had stumbled over him in the midst of a dim, dusty library.

Naruto did not bother to answer Sasuke's sharp question. He bolted to his feet so quickly Sasuke did not have time to react, and with an involuntary shudder, flung his arms around Sasuke, encompassing both him and the baby in a tight, unrelenting embrace.

Sasuke did not hesitate an instant. He immediately drew back, away from Naruto's arms, hoisting Yoko higher so she could hug his neck. But no alarm flashed in her large eyes; she watched Naruto curiously, with a sense of familiarity. She had not forgotten him.

The smile still hung in place on Naruto's mouth, albeit crookedly since he had not been greeted so enthusiastically by Sasuke. His arms dangled at his sides, and he tipped his head to the side, as if silently asking Sasuke "what's wrong?"

Sasuke looked away, recovering. His dark eyes, shiny in the fluorescent light, held an indescribable sort of anxiety: fear, perhaps? Naruto felt his joy evaporate, leaving his cheeks cold and his fingers numb.

Sasuke was not happy to see him.

Desperately, Naruto leaned forward, grabbing at the hand Sasuke hand lowered from its place supporting Yoko.

"Sas'––" the affectionate nickname fell from his lips like a bomb in the calm atmosphere––"Sas', are you okay?" Try as he did, in spite of his deflated mood, Naruto could not squelch the trace of happiness in his voice.

Sasuke curled his fingers into a fist, his knuckles feeling warm in Naruto's eager hand. "I'm all right. I just didn't expect to see you... um, so soon."

"Soon? Sas', it's been––it's been––well, _forever _since I last saw you! And Yoko––she's grown so much! Last I seen she was about the size of my cat, and now, she's a regular baby. Does she talk yet? Or walk much? I'll bet she's all over the place, and she's pretty as a picture. Looks just like you did at that age! Really, how long _has _it been?"

He realized he was babbling mindlessly, but to him, it didn't matter. He savored the sight of his friend, squeezing Sasuke's hand just to mask the trembling of his own hand. Something about Sasuke had changed, but though Naruto squinted and stepped closer, he could not exactly pinpoint what.

Sasuke kept his gaze locked on the tile floor, lowering his chin until his forehead pressed against Yoko's. The uneven ends of his bangs just brushed above his temples––when had he gotten his hair cut?––and the rest of the thick black locks he had scraped back into a short tuft secured with an orange rubber band.

Slowly, as if in a trance, Naruto reached over. For a fleeting second, Sasuke thought Naruto would stroke Yoko's pink cheek, but his rough fingers stretched further. Sasuke tensed, a perceptible quiver sailing up his back as Naruto passed his hand over his hair.

"I have to wear it like this," Sasuke said softly by way of explanation, vainly attempting to act nonchalant. "Yoko pulls my hair all the time, the little devil. I have to keep it out of the way."

"That's not what's different," Naruto said firmly, not understanding Sasuke had no idea of what he was speaking of. He stared at Sasuke, his image blurring through his fringe of sandy lashes.

Everything, yet somehow nothing, seemed the same. Sasuke had undergone changes in his absence from Naruto's life, and the very prospect made the dull thrum of panic beat in Naruto's ears. Sasuke had experiences changes that Naruto knew nothing of. Helplessly, he slid his hand along the curve of Sasuke's neck, wrapping his fist in Sasuke's short ponytail and twisting his fingers in the faded black wisps. When had Sasuke's hair become so silky? Or had it always been this way, and he merely had never noticed, being so used to touching it?

Sasuke struggled against a wince at this treatment, his eyebrows lowering and his lids ticking open and shut rapidly to curb the smarting of his eyes. Naruto's sudden somberness was strange, an attitude Sasuke had seldom witnessed before. Naruto acted as if he were bewitched, his expression blank and his vision focused on seemingly nothing.

Why did he not laugh and throw his head back to show off his bright open grin? Any other time he would have grabbed Sasuke's arms to swing him around in a clumsy sort of dance, giddy with their unforeseen reunion. Yet here he stood, wordlessly, unaware of any presence but Sasuke's. He touched him ceaselessly, much as though he had to ensure Sasuke was the same and would not tolerate him.

Naruto's fingers slipped down to Sasuke's shoulder and stayed there for a moment. The longer he held his hand against Sasuke's skin, the more flurries of electricity seemed to gather just beneath his fingers. Sasuke at last gave his shoulder a jerk that snapped Yoko's head forward and dislodged Naruto's hand.

"I––I have to go, dunce," he said quickly, and simply as that, the binding spell of silence broke. He cast a wary glance past Naruto's ear, as if afraid someone would storm down the aisle to scold him for lingering in the presence of his friend. Without bothering to explain, he hefted Yoko up in his arms and turned away. Naruto saw how his ponytail was tousled and ruffled over his neck, and when Yoko leaned her round head against Sasuke's shoulder to stare at Naruto, he hastily looked away.

A breeze swirled past him, cold and prickly. His stomach aching, Naruto slid his hands into his pockets and pivoted around on his heel, leaving his groceries––the things he needed––behind.

Nine would forgive him for it.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I have so many exams to study for. I'm just happy I even managed to post this. In two days, I have an exam in every subject. But I'm not really complaining - I'm learning a lot, especially in English and Lit., that will help me improve my writing. Thank you for taking your time to read this chapter.


	24. Good Advice

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note:** I wrote 23000 words this week because we were on vacation. I stocked up on updates - I have around six weeks' worth of chapters and new stories. Also, _psaikful, _if you're reading this, I'm working on the second chapter of that fiction I promised you.

* * *

Naruto smoothed the hot iron over his wrinkled suit jacket, pressing the creases flat and squinting his eyes against the wisps of steam that coiled upward. Over the heavy puffing of the clunky iron, Naruto barely heard the sharp rapping of someone knocking at the kitchen door. He winced as the banging grew louder.

"Hold on!" he called, flipping the switch on the iron with his thumb. He set the iron upright, allowing its metal bottom to cool, and left the jacket on the padding ironing board to dry. He strode briskly through the narrow hallway, stepping over the clutter, and almost lunged for the door to prevent it from being bashed in by the heavy barrage of knocking.

"What is it?" he asked as he swung the door open, before he could bite his tongue.

Chōji Akimichi stood on the rickety porch, looking considerably taken aback by Naruto's sour greeting.

"Golly, Naruto," Chōji quipped, "Shikamaru told me you were acting strange, and now I really do believe him!"

Naruto frowned, his fingers flexing around the cold doorknob until his knuckles grew pale. "Why'd you come all the way here, Chōji? It's sorta late."

"Well," Chōji said uneasily, "I actually wasn't going to come visit now... but then Kin Tsuchi from work wanted me to give you these."

Chōji extended his short arm, and Naruto's gaze traveled slowly downward. From Chōji's fist protruded a thick arrangement of expensive-looking, vibrant orange tulips. The layers of tissue paper surrounding the bouquet was also a soft shade of sherbet orange. A small tag fluttered from the stems of the flowers, on which was printed in Kin's swirly penmanship: _I've heard you have not been feeling very well, lately. I just wanted to let you know I hope you're better as soon as possible. Best regards, Kin._

Naruto grinned in spite of his mood, pleased by the kindness Kin had shown. He accepted the large wrapped bundle of tulips and held them against his chest, gently tracing his thumb along the stiff, fragrant petals.

"That was awful sweet of her, wasn't it?" he asked fondly. "Kin's always been a quiet girl, but she's great."

Chōji gave a brief smile before his lips thinned in a flat line yet again. "She is. She has a soft spot for you, that's for sure."

"Really?" Naruto glanced down at the note attached to the flowers once more, as if for confirmation. "I mean, you think so?"

"It's sort of obvious," Chōji said, refraining from rolling his eyes at Naruto's ignorance. He leaned to the side, resting his elbow on the door frame. It creaked from the pressure of his weight, but Chōji seemed to ignore it. He gazed somewhere behind Naruto's ear, and as the seconds dragged past, he opened his mouth a few times as if to speak, but no words formed.

Naruto felt rather like a lump as he stood in the threshold with the bushy bouquet of tulips in his arms. He glanced to the side and coughed discreetly, lifting his hand to rub at the side of his itchy nose. _Maybe I'm allergic to these things, _he thought, and lowered the flowers further away from his chin.

"So, Chōji, I––"

"Naruto, I needed to––"

Their words tangled and overlapped, and both men fell into an awkward silence, each waiting for the other to finish.

"You go first," they said simultaneously. Naruto laughed, feeling a bit of the tension drain from his chest as Chōji shook his large head in mock disbelief.

"It's okay. You go on," Naruto said encouragingly.

"Um... well... well, I kind of had the urge to come see you today," Chōji admitted. He stared down at the flowers, not looking directly at Naruto. "Like I mentioned, Shikamaru told me you had been acting strange. And I wanted to know if there's anything I could do to help you out."

Just as quickly as he had become comfortable, Naruto tightened his shoulders defensively and edged backward, the floor cold against the soles of his bare feet. "What'd'ya mean by that?"

"Is anything going on?" Chōji pressed. "Like... I was wondering if maybe you started dating again. And if it was going well or not. You've just acted sort of depressed lately, like you've broken up with your girlfriend. You acted the same way when you and that girl from school split up. I remember when Shikamaru was dating and––"

"Some friend you are, Chōji," Naruto interrupted. His voice was not bitter, nor sarcastic, but chillingly neutral. "Coming all the way over here just to accuse me of being in a bad relationship and breaking women's hearts. Thanks loads."

Chōji's round, doughy face registered shock, his small eyes widening and growing shiny like glass marbles. In one swift movement, he wedged the large toe of his sneaker into the space between the door before Naruto could close it all the way.

"Don't be like that, Naruto," he pleaded. "I didn't mean it that way. Give me a chance to talk, all right?"

Heaving an impatient sigh, Naruto sagged against the door and jerkily crossed his ankles in a manner of finality, clearly stating he did not intend to invite Chōji inside.

"What is with you guys?" he asked at last, looking up. His blue eyes were like hailstones, hard and icy. "Everyone's been on my case lately. You, Shikamaru, even the old man from Ichiraku's. Everyone keeps asking me what's wrong, like I'm dragging around ready to die. I'm not sick and I'm not depressed. I'm _fine. _In fact, I'm doing better now than I've been in weeks! So what will it take for me to convince everyone of that?"

Chōji could think of no suitable reply, and became abruptly aware of the stammering voice that was his own. "I––I'm sure the only reason everyone asks is because they're worried about you. What has Sasuke been saying about all this? You always listen to him."

"Sasuke? Oh, he hasn't been saying much. Hasn't been saying anything, really. He's the only one who leaves me alone."

Naruto spoke so evenly and flatly that it was all too apparent he was pretending. Chōji regretted having put Naruto on the defensive. He had wished to converse with Naruto in a warm way, to comfort him and support him through his problems. All prospects of that idea ever coming to life were vanishing rapidly.

_It's hard to help someone who denies he even has a problem, _Chōji thought sarcastically. _What's _wrong _with Naruto? He's almost kind of like a different person. He's always been the happy one, ready to talk to anyone about anything. But now he's actually keeping to himself. Angry and shut off. He reminds me of how Sasuke used to act._

"Naruto," Chōji began, "I don't really––"

"Chōji," Naruto broke in, "I'm glad you came to visit me. It was nice of you to bring the flowers. But really, I'm doing fine. I'm great. And to be honest, I'm finally starting to learn how to live like I used to again. So there's nothing wrong that you can fix. Leave a guy to himself, okay?"

"I'm not giving you the choice," Chōji said sternly. He reached out, closing his fingers around the side of the door, his nose inches away from Naruto's. "I have the feeling you need to talk to someone about whatever has been bothering you. And I'm ready to listen."

Naruto instinctively drew back, his brows lowering and his nose scrunching. The faint whisker lines on his weathered cheeks curved downwards as he frowned, his chin wrinkling. Reluctantly, he shuffled to the side, granting Chōji enough space to walk inside the kitchen.

"I guess you can come in," he said, focusing his attention on a scrap of linoleum that peeled up at the base of the wall. "But I'm telling ya, there ain't nothing wrong. And I ain't telling you anything."

"Why are you keeping things secret if nothing is wrong?" Chōji asked sensibly, stepping gingerly over the threshold and stooping to avoid knocking his head against the top of the short doorway. He immediately advanced to the dining table, pulling out one chair. Its legs rattled and squeaked shrilly against the tile flooring.

"Come off it, Chōji," Naruto said rudely. "I let you in. Now do whatever you wanna do, since apparently the psychiatrist is 'in'."

Chōji smiled benignly at Naruto and plucked a hard biscuit from the bowl on the table. He broke a piece off, crumbs raining free, and poked it into his mouth, chewing away nonchalantly.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he turned to the sink, grabbing a dirty plate from the counter and running it under the stream of hot water just to be occupying himself. He was familiar with this technique of playing around a tense subject––"defusing" a situation, he called it.

After he had rinsed five or six plates just enough to rid them of the crusty food residue from days past, he nervously shifted from side to side, his heels sinking into the plush rug. Guilt was festering in his stomach so badly he feared nausea would soon replace it. He cleared his sore throat with a deep cough, and heard Chōji twist around in his chair to watch him.

"I'm sorry for being such a pill," he admitted. He dropped a dish into the drainer to dry, and it clattered loudly against the other ceramic plates. "I... I guess I'm just sick of everyone nagging at me, because I know I'm wrong and they're right. _You're _right. Something has been bothering me a little bit, lately, and no matter what I do, I can't get rid of it. In fact, I was doing okay until a couple of days ago. I thought I could get over it, but it turns out, I was wrong."

Instead of prying, Chōji draped his arm over the backrest of the chair and simply said, "What's that mean?"

"Are you not gonna leave until I tell you?"

"Probably not," Chōji said slyly.

"Fine. Then I guess I have to tell you, if I'm ever getting rid of you."

Naruto stared out the window at the long grass as it swayed in the chilly wind. The sun had reappeared over the trees, slathering its last beams of rich red light over the horizon before it dipped into darkness.

_Boy, do I wish I could hide as good as that, _Naruto thought. He struggled with his pride, mustering the will to explain what had been steadily hammering away at his pleasant life for so long.

"You know Sasuke got married, right?" he asked after a couple of minutes.

"Of course I do," Chōji said, puzzled. "Everyone knows that. It's been a long time since the wedding, hasn't it?"

Naruto bypassed the question. "Well... um, Sasuke's wife is a nice girl. She would have to be, for Sasuke to marry her. But she never really liked me."

He paused, waiting for a reaction. He almost expected Chōji's booming laugh to ring through the house, mocking this new revelation. But Chōji sat silently, patiently awaiting Naruto's explanation. Somehow, Naruto gained more encouragement from Chōji's silence than anything else.

"A lot of times the girl acted like she hated me," Naruto blurted. "And when she married Sasuke, it was like an open declaration of war. She hated that I spent so much time around Sasuke. I don't blame her, though, since husbands and wives are s'posed to devote their time to each other. But she didn't really care if Sasuke went out with his other friends or with his coworkers. The only time she got worked up was when Sasuke wanted to spend time with me."

"It's not surprising," Chōji said. "Newlyweds take time to find a compromise of standards."

"They ain't _new _anymore, Chōji," Naruto said witheringly. "If I was to go up to the Uchiha house and ring the doorbell, she'd have my head."

Chōji winced in sympathy. "It's that bad?"

"Well... maybe not _that _bad."

"So is that what's been bothering you all this time?"

Naruto lifted his broad shoulders in a slight shrug as he dropped another plate into the dish drainer. "Maybe."

He refused to tell Chōji about how he had chased Sasuke from his home. _I didn't chase him! _Naruto corrected himself, almost startled he had even thought of it in that way. _He... left. On his own accord, He wanted to leave. I just let him. _He also refused to tell Chōji about how he had met Sasuke in the supermarket, how Sasuke had acted nervous and even somewhat shy.

"Why can't you make up with Mrs. Uchiha?" Chōji wondered. "What's keeping you from being on good terms with her?"

"I dunno, Chōji." Naruto slouched, resting his elbows on the slick sink with sudsy water still soaking his hands. "Some things just... don't work out. Sasuke didn't want me messing around with her, anyway. He said it was to keep any arguments from starting, but I really think he was kinda scared of her."

"Sasuke? Scared of his wife?" Chōji repeated incredulously. "I didn't think Sasuke was scared of anything."

Frustrated by his inability to convey his thoughts, Naruto smacked the dishtowel against the sink divider. Specks of water flew from the impact, catching in Naruto's sandy blond lashes and stinging his eyes. He blinked hastily, hoping, praying the watering of his eyes would not be mistaken for tears.

"Not scared _of _his wife, exactly," he said, feeling the information was now anticlimactic as he rubbed at the corner of his leaking eye. "More like scared of... _losing_ her. It's just my opinion, but I kinda think he's so worried about messing up that he lets her walk all over him. He doesn't set the boundaries that need to be set. He always acted too scared of making her upset with him. He wanted her so bad, and now that he's finally got her, he doesn't want to take any chances with ruining their relationship."

His words seemed to settle heavily in the atmosphere, sinking with the all the weight of the purple twilight descending over the city.

"Wow," Chōji finally said, his voice quiet. "That's pretty deep, I guess. I didn't ever think that... you know. That Sasuke had any insecurities."

"You don't know Sasuke," Naruto cut in. "Not really. Not like I do."

"Is that why you've been so down?" Chōji sounded almost admiring. "Have you been concerned about Sasuke this whole time, so much that it's got you upset, too?"

"I... guess you could call it that," Naruto said, both hurt and relieved that Chōji could not completely understand. "I just... miss Sasuke. He stays away from me a lot, now. And it feels so weird, Chōji. Sasuke was always right there beside me. Whenever I was scared, I could just hold onto him and I knew I'd be okay. Whenever I laughed, he would at least grin a little. I know it sounds conceited, but I was the one who helped Sasuke come out of his shell, so to speak. And now, he's got a wife that's pushing him right back into it."

The lump in his throat swelled, almost punishing him for sharing his most personal of musings with Chōji. He was not even that familiarly acquainted with Chōji, and yet here he stood, blabbering on and on about a problem he would not even mention to his Uncle Jiraiya. Though Naruto did not bother to ponder it, he only felt so free to talk because Chōji never gave way to criticism or taunting. Chōji had proven himself to be always prepared to listen without forcefully offering snide remarks or his opinion.

Even as Naruto slumped over the sink, scrubbing at his reddened eye and sounding choked, Chōji sat with his large hands folded in his lap, his long red hair spiked jaggedly along his scalp and flowing like rough feathers down his wide back. He looked not unlike an Indian chieftain, calm and sedate.

_I'm sorry, Big Chief Chōji, _Naruto thought. He stared down at his thumbnail, rubbing his fingers together and watching as the soap bubbles reflected tiny rainbows of light. _I shouldn't have even said anything, like I meant to. But for some reason, I feel a little bit better._

He leaned over further, burrowing his nose in his forearms. Shikamaru was fortunate to have such a compassionate friend. Naruto just wished he still had a friend in close contact that he could refer to in a similar way.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Naruto did promise himself he would be happy, but that was before he found out Sasuke didn't want to see him. Maybe there will be just one chapter left. It depends. I'm sad right now because _Hitman Reborn! _ended. I love that manga, and it ended without anymore 8059 moments! Sigh.

Oh, I almost forgot: dear anonymous, if you see this, I wanted to tell you that actually, no, Naruto and Sasuke aren't gay in this story. It does seem that way, doesn't it? But they seem kind of gay in the manga and anime as well. At least they haven't kissed in this story, hehe! I don't plan on that, either. But thank you, anon! Your comments - as all comments - are very appreciated.


	25. A Letter of Certain Doom

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **What am I doing. Another month between updates. Forgive me. Anyway, on a more ecstatic note: you wonderful people have gifted me with 100+ reviews! I have a bigger thank-you note on my profile, but here's a shortened version: thank you, thank you, thank you. You amazing readers just encourage me and make me want to write and become better and did I mention how grateful I am? In all honesty, though. _Thank you._

Now, onto the actual story.

* * *

"I can't do it, Yoko," Sasuke said. He leaned back against the door, pushing against it as if to prevent a persistent intruder from squeezing inside. Yoko sat on the floor where Sasuke had placed her, one finger in her mouth. She watched silently as her father bravely struggled against the tremor that swept up his body, but at last, he slid against the door, sinking to the floor with a rough sigh. He tucked his legs to his chest and folded his broad arms over the shelf of his knees.

"It's happened," he muttered against his forearms. "I knew it would. I can't go out in public without worrying that _he'll _be there. Yoko, you can't tell anyone about this. Especially not your mother. She'll never forgive me for lying to her, will she?"

Yoko's large eyes widened further, her knuckle in her mouth.

"I thought at first he'd come back," Sasuke continued, ignoring the silence of his confidant and sounding as if he were in a daze. "Remember, how I told you he'd be here? How'd he'd be asking to see us just a day after he promised he would leave me alone? I didn't ever believe he would keep his promise. I almost forgot about what he said. And now... now that I've seen him again, I realize how stupid I really am. I couldn't deal with seeing him anymore, Yoko. It hurts, now. It makes me think about how I've treated him. I guess... this is how it feels to be guilty."

Yoko burbled, waving her fat arms as if demanding to be picked up. Any other time, Sasuke would have relented, not able to withstand her loving smile. Once she understood Sasuke would not comply, she let her arms fall to rest on her lap where her small ruffled skirt billowed.

Sasuke shut his eyes so tightly that deep lines formed between his brows. He pressed his nose into the crook of his arm, hugging his legs closer.

"I can't let that happen again, Yoko," he said in a hoarse whisper. "But I'll have to tell him that some time or another. No matter what, I can't see him again."

* * *

Sunshine poured generously from the slits between the pink morning clouds. It washed over the pearly grass and filtered between the tree leaves, casting small patches of cool yellow over Naruto's empty bed.

"Hiya, Nine." Naruto reached down to rub the cat's round head, and Nine arched its back gracefully, tiptoeing closer to curl around Naruto's ankles.

"It always surprises me how light you are on those little paddy-paws," said Naruto through a deep yawn. "You're so fat I'd like to think you could cause an earthquake by sneezing."

Nine pricked its whiskers, delicately stepping over Naruto's foot. With a twitch of its crooked tail it sauntered away, blending into the shadows in the hall.

"All right, then," Naruto said, blinking. He straightened and tightened the frayed ties of his chenille robe. The hem fluttered around his bare knees as he groggily groped his way into the gray kitchen. He found his loafers piled on the doormat and jammed his cold toes into them before going outside to empty his mailbox.

When he stepped onto the porch, letting the metal storm door slam shut with a shudder, the stray cats that always prowled his flowerbeds shot upright. Two or three scraggly felines loped away, their tails cocked high and their matted coats wrinkled around their thin bodies. Naruto watched them run, feeling sorry for them. He made his way slowly down the cluttered driveway to where his mailbox stood proudly on a bent pole.

"Bills, bills, stupid coupons that I'll never use, another bill," Naruto muttered to himself, wrestling the enormous stack of mail from inside the box. He hated gathering his mail and only did so when the box could physically hold not so much as an envelope more. He ungraciously allowed the heap of newspapers and advertisements to fall onto the dewy ground. He prodded the hill of papers with the toe of his loafer, with all the same disgust and caution one would display when poking a dead animal on the roadside.

"A thousand bills," he decided. "Maybe more. Hey, looks like my basketball team won the finals. Oh, and someone needs an able-bodied fellow to do odd jobs. Boring, boring." He pushed the old newspapers away, and underneath them lay a single envelope. The address was not printed, but rather handwritten in an artful swirly penmanship that Naruto instantly recognized. He stared at the envelope as if it were a snake coiled in his path.

After what felt to be hours, Naruto slowly stooped down, gingerly pinching the corner of the envelope. He lifted it from the wet ground and raised it until it dangled from his fingers at eye level.

It was from Sasuke, and it was for him.

Not pausing to think, Naruto shakily slipped his finger beneath the flap of the envelope, peeling it away from the strip of glue he knew Sasuke had licked. With a faltering hand he removed a folded sheet of crisp blue stationery. It balanced on his flattened palm, looking harmless and normal, but Naruto dared not even compile hopes of what the letter could hold.

_He sent me this. He didn't call or visit. He sent me a letter, all fancy and handwritten. This can't be good. _

Another thought squeezed into his foggy mind. _Don't be so pessimistic! This letter could be great. Sasuke could just be checking up on me, the big old softy. He likes to act all crusty, like he did at the store when I saw him last, but really, he's just a marshmallow inside. I'll bet he sent this to tell me about his job and his baby and his friends and everything. _

A sliver of happiness cut into Naruto's gloom, and he carefully unfolded the letter, listening to the paper rustle. Almost before he realized it, he began to read aloud.

"'Naruto'," he read, then paused. Something did not sound right. He coughed and continued: "'I know that, right now, you probably don't hold me in high regards. You might not even open this letter, and if you don't, and it just ends up in the trash, that's fine, because writing helps me feel better about what's going on.'"

_No. This isn't good. _Naruto felt his pulse quicken. His stomach began to churn sickeningly. _What does Sasuke want?_

"'The last time I saw you was in the market'," he read. "'You were happy to see me, I could tell, but I can't really say the same about myself. It sounds terrible, but it's true. You were the last person I wanted to meet.'"

Naruto could not restrain himself from scanning the rest of the page, his eyes widening. "'This whole time we've been staying apart, I really did think you were going to be the first to break down. I thought you'd be coming by for a visit any day. And I will admit that, after a while, I forgot about you, in a way. Things have been wonderful with my family, and it's because of you. Granted, you did almost ruin my family life there at first, but because you finally stepped back, I'm getting along with my family better than I would have guessed.

"'I did think of you a bit. I wondered if you were really going to keep that promise you made, about giving me space. I'm glad you did. That's one thing I can actually thank you for. But I couldn't help believing that, if you did come to see me, we'd have a good time, and there'd be nothing strange between us. Seeing you at the market made me realize how relieved I am that you didn't show up at my door.'"

Anguish piled in Naruto's throat, making his voice thick and slow. He could not bring himself to believe what he was reading.

"'We've had lots of fun together as kids. We've had fun as teenagers and young adults. But we're both getting older, and it's time to forget about all of this. No more nonsense. We've moved away from each other, and it's caused a lot of problems, but the good is still outweighing the bad. I won't deny that I like having you around, and it gets lonely sometimes without you. But wishing and crying and fighting won't make all of what's happened disappear. It's time to grow up and move on.

"'I would never tell you this face-to-face, but since I'm not going to give myself that chance, I'll tell it to you in writing. It's easier this way. Naruto Uzumaki, you're the best friend I've ever had.'"

Naruto choked, and the perfect writing blurred into a sea of tangled blue lines.

"'You're the best friend I've ever had'," he continued reading, his voice low and quavery. "'There's been times in my life I couldn't have gone through without you. I know I don't seem like I care, but I do. You have talents, Naruto. You're funny and outgoing and can make anyone feel comfortable. Being friendly is a talent in itself, because you're one of the only ones who's gotten through to me. I hate writing this, and bringing it up again, but you need to remember that teacher in middle school and what he said."

Naruto knew exactly what Sasuke meant. The incident had embarrassed Sasuke to the point of his not speaking to Naruto the entire day. The teacher had been recording the students' conduct and grading it, and upon evaluating Sasuke had expressed his shock.

"Sasuke Uchiha––he's smiling, chatting with friends, playing during recess. Just months ago he was the boy who was almost too shy to talk to the lunch lady!"

"Don't you know why?" the principal had asked. "It's because of that Naruto. Naruto's helped Sasuke in ways that no one else can. They both have similar family problems. You should know better than anyone, Iruka, that the only person who can really understand another's problems is the one who's gone through them himself."

Iruka had beamed at Naruto approvingly later that day. "You'd better hang onto that prize, Naruto, and not let anyone take it from you. It's very special."

"What prize?" Naruto asked, confused.

"The one with black hair sitting beside you."

Both Sasuke and Naruto had started, jerking upright like puppets. Iruka grinned demurely. "Your friend is your reward. You've done a good job."

_I did do a good job, didn't I? _Naruto thought, staring down at the letter in his hand. _I picked a good friend. _The thought renewed his courage, giving him enough will to finish reading the letter.

"'You've done more for me than you could imagine'," he read, and flipped the paper over. The writing was smaller now, and squeezed together, as if Sasuke had much to say but little room in which to say it. "'We've always depended on each other too much. You really need to do something with yourself. You're too nice of a guy to waste your life. Find a girl who will give you all the attention and the love you deserve. Find one who can't be driven crazy. Find one who will listen to you and respect you.'"

_In other words, _thought Naruto, _find one just like you, Sasuke._

"'Get married'," he read, "'and try not to think about me anymore. It only hurts when I think about you. I haven't been a good friend, and I hope you will forgive me. And try to understand that, even though I'm going to put this entire mess behind me, I'm still your friend, and you're mine. No distance can change that.

"'So, as I said, no more nonsense. No whining. I don't want to get news of you moping and acting like me. The next time I ask about you, I want to be told that you're happy and in a good relationship with a girl who will love you. Even nitwits like you need that. Maybe someday we can bring our families together without any trouble, but that time isn't now. Until then, remember this: no matter what, you're still important to me.'"

Naruto stared at that last line, as if trying to etch every quirk of every letter into his memory. He clenched the paper, his knuckles pale and cold. His head pounded, and the paragraphs oozed together so that he could no longer distinguish one word from another.

_I never thought he would admit anything. I never thought, not for a second, that he would call me his best friend, his most important person. And I never thought he'd have to tell me this way that he doesn't want to see me anymore. _

He crumpled the page in his fist, listening to it crackle, and thrust it deep into his pocket.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I do realize I won't be able to please everyone with the ending I've chosen. Some people may want a happy ending, others may want a sad ending. But I hope that the majority will understand my reason for the ending, which is definitely drawing closer. No matter which ending you like, though, I appreciate hearing your opinions and advice. And again, I apologize (yet again) for this update, which is (yet again) very late.


	26. Someday

**STRANDED AT THE ALTAR**

**Author's Note: **This is it. The last chapter. Now that this long story is over, I'm going to feel useless. I have no idea what to do with myself anymore. But this chapter took a long time to write, and I wasn't sure how to write some parts of it, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless. I'm so grateful to everyone for allowing me to finish this.

* * *

"Friendship, I guess, is the one thing in the world that's more fragile than a piece of glass, but at the same time, a thousand times stronger than steel. It can hit a bump and break to bits, or it can go through fire and come out better than it was before. It can last a month and fade, or it can last forever, and _still_ continue. It'll have its bad times, but that's normal, because a friend is just what people call someone that isn't family by name, but family in heart."

Naruto lifted his hand to chew thoughtfully at the eraser on the end of his pencil. He blew a sigh through his nose, flipped the pencil upside down to scrub out the lines he just written, then stopped.

"Aw, what am I saying? This sounds so corny." He propped his elbow on his desk and began gnawing his eraser again. "I ain't a poet. And I surely ain't ever gonna be able to tell Sasuke what I think of him, the way he told me. Sasuke's a writer. He's smart. He has a name for every emotion he feels. I'm not smart enough to pick my emotions out one from another."

Breathing deeply, he spun around in his swivel chair and picked the sheet of plain notebook paper off his desk. He stared at it for a long time, not even reading what he had written––just staring. At last, he folded the paper in half, then in half again, and again, and again, until it sat on his palm like a thick little book.

He squinted at it. _A book made outta one page. _He paused, and peered at the paper again.

_That... that sounds kinda like me and Sasuke, _he thought, the idea tickling his mind. _Ain't that funny. Life's sorta like a book, ain't it, and books need to have more than just one character. I've been keeping one character in my book, trying to turn one little bitty page into a whole novel. There's so many other pages to fill up, and so many other people I know who can fill them._

A sense of hope filled him, swelling in his stomach until it pushed his heart back into its proper position, instead of leaving it sagging low within his ribcage where it had been for so long. He felt a smile creeping across his face, stretching his lips, curving his cheeks, narrowing his eyes just enough that the gray flecks shone silver.

"Just 'cause Sasuke's not with me all the time doesn't mean I'm lost," he said slowly. "I promised myself I'd be happy, no matter what, and I can. Sasuke's not my only friend. I have a _lot _of friends. I won't love any of them like I do Sasuke, but I can still be there for them. I've been ignoring them for awhile, now, I was so caught up with Sasuke. I can't believe it!"

He laughed, and it felt rather like crying, only more natural. His chest shook, and he folded his arms over his belly and leaned over until his forehead touched the desk. His smile would not slacken.

"I've been so wrapped in the bad things, I've started acting like Sasuke. Or how Sasuke used to act, at least. But I'm through with that. Like Sasuke told me, no more nonsense! I'm gonna listen to him, for is it. I'm starting over. Right back to the day Sasuke got married. And this time, I won't mess it up for him."

Feeling happier, lighter, and younger than he had in a long time, Naruto opened the top drawer, and slipped the piece of folded paper inside it, right next to the canister of bent paperclips, the roll of tape, and the worn, wrinkled letter from Sasuke.

* * *

"Hi, Shikamaru!" Naruto bounced up on his tiptoes to look over the top of his cubicle wall. He waved at Shikamaru, urging him closer. Shikamaru halted, knit his eyebrows, frowned, and hesitantly stepped nearer.

"Naruto?" he said slowly, looking Naruto over. "Are you... okay?"

"Okay? Shikamaru, I _am _okay! Really, this time. I promise." Naruto clapped his hands together in a gesture of finality, as if ending the discussion. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Are you and Chōji free for lunch?"

"Lunch?"

"Are you?" Naruto prodded.

"Am I?" Shikamaru sounded rather like a parrot, repeating everything Naruto said. He fiddled with the knot on his necktie, hooking his finger beneath it to loosen it. After awhile, he shrugged. "As far as I know, we don't have any other plans."

"Great! I'm taking you guys out to eat. Don't thank me. It's my way of apologizing." Naruto lowered his voice to a confidential tone, sounding ashamed. "I've been really rude to you lately. To Chōji, too. I've been so focused on my own problems, I was pushing you all away, when it was really the time I needed you most."

Shikamaru's suspicious glare softened, but before he could say anything, Naruto snapped his head up. "I mean it, this time, Shikamaru," he said, in a way that did not allow room for compromise. "You, Chōji, Kin––every one of you have been there for me. It's my turn to do something for you."

"You don't have to, Naruto." Shikamaru leaned against the wall, always needing something to prop his sleepy body upright. He looked almost apologetic. "We know times can be rough. You were grinding on our nerves there for awhile, but we understand. We all get like that sometimes, so it's not your fault."

"Don't try talking me out of it," Naruto warned. "I know I don't _have _to do anything. I already told myself what I was going to do. But when I tell you guys publicly, you know, it kind of... I dunno, makes it seem more real."

Shikamaru sighed, and leaned his cheek against his shoulder drowsily. "I get what you're saying. But really, there's no need to beat yourself up over anything. We've all forgiven you."

"I _know,_" Naruto said, a bit miffed that his generosity was being brushed aside. "But I want to do this. It'll help me, you know?"

"Okay." Shikamaru shook his head in mock disbelief. "I'll go with you. I'll find Chōji and see if he wants to come."

Shikamaru brought Chōji to Naruto's cubicle, and Naruto eagerly recounted his epiphany and gave Chōji the invitation to lunch. Chōji, being warmer and more emotional than Shikamaru, grabbed Naruto in a tight hug and found it difficult to let go of him.

"Thanks, buddy," Naruto said, his face burning. Chōji's large arms wrapped around him like steel bands, and Naruto realized how small he actually was in comparison to Chōji. He comfortingly patted Chōji's wide back, and Chōji unwillingly loosened his grip.

"I'm glad you're all right," Chōji said hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure whether to believe Naruto. "I didn't like seeing you moping around. You're sure you're better?"

Naruto smiled, pleased by his friend's concern. "I'm better, Chōji. It sounds really stupid and cheesy, but lemme tell you: I don't think I'll ever be totally better."

Chōji and Shikamaru stared at him, and Naruto knew they were waiting for a more comprehensive explanation.

"You know..." Naruto began awkwardly, feeling a bit as if he were an actor on stage without a script.

"It's like... um, say, your arm hurts super bad, but to make it stop hurting, you have to get rid of it. And so you've lost an arm, and you feel good and bad at the same time. So in a way, you do feel _better,_ but every time you look down, you remember how it hurt. And then you start thinking, 'Man, I miss my arm! I was a wimp! Maybe I could have manned up and ignored the hurting, and it eventually would have gone away. Now there's nothing I can do about it.' There really is nothing you can do about it, and you have to think of that every day."

He stopped, noticing that both Shikamaru and Chōji seemed entirely confused by his analogy. In a way, it relieved him to know that they appeared to have no idea of whom he had been referring to. He gave an embarrassed laugh, and scrubbed his fingers into his combed hair.

"I'm better," he said. "And I'm happy that you guys care enough to ask."

Even Shikamaru had the tact the smile. _I was afraid for a second that old Naruto Uzumaki had become a philosopher, _he thought. Aloud, he said, "Good. It's good to have you back. Now, are we going out for lunch or not?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, but nodded agreeably. "You fellas go on outside. I'll be right there."

He lingered in his cubicle, waiting. When he no longer heard Shikamaru's dragging footsteps and Chōji's lumbering ones, he sneaked down the hall, ducking to avoid being seen over the tops of the dividers. He paused by the one cubicle snuggled in the middle of the hall, and peeked around its edge. His mouth felt dry and rough, and his throat closed up with nervous worry.

He froze when Kin Tsuchi whirled around in her chair, her long hair swirling around her. She gaped, and her hands shot up to cover her mouth.

"Hi," Naruto said sheepishly.

"Naruto!" Kin dropped her hands to her lap, coughed lightly, and smoothed her skirt over her knee. If she was pretending to be unaffected by the unexpected visit, she was not doing very well.

"I haven't seen you around much," she said nonchalantly. "Did you get... I mean, did Chōji give you––"

"Yeah, he did," Naruto interrupted. "I loved the flowers. They're sitting in a vase on my kitchen window. It was really nice of you to send 'em to me."

Kin's face darkened with pleasure. "It wasn't any problem. I'm glad you're doing better."

"That's kinda why I wanted to talk to you," Naruto admitted. He nudged his toe against the carpet. "I haven't been the greatest person, and I want to make it up to you. Can you come to lunch with Shikamaru and Chōji and me?"

"Oh, I'd like that!" Kin smiled slightly, and began to twist a strand of hair around her finger. "Thank you for asking me."

"Well, come on!" Naruto waved in the direction of the front doors, out of which his friends had already gone. "We should catch up. Don't want to let Chōji get there first."

Kin laughed. "Of course." She bent over to tug her purse from beneath the desk and hefted it over her shoulder. Quickly she shut down the bulky computer, and its blue screen snapped into blackness. She seemed satisfied that her workplace was tidy––as it always was, unbelievably so––and followed Naruto through the hall.

* * *

It took several minutes to convince everyone to stop chattering. Naruto had met Neji and Kiba on his way to the restaurant, and could not resist inviting them along to eat, as well. Now, they sat at the opposite side of the table, and only Neji and Shikamaru were quiet.

"Guys, shut up," Shikamaru said. He poked Kiba in the ribs with his elbow. "Naruto brought us here for a reason. Now stop talking for a minute and listen to what he's got to say."

Kiba unwillingly turned to face Naruto. Chōji contritely closed his mouth, and Kin glanced at them both from her place seated beside Naruto.

Feeling that he should appear more professional, somehow, Naruto pushed his chair away and stood up. He looked taller, to each and every one of his friends. As Shikamaru had earlier observed, and as everyone noticed now, Naruto did seem older.

He spread his hands over the top of the table for support, and leaned over it, commanding attention. He inhaled deeply, his eyes falling shut and opening again.

"I'm pretty sure all of you've seen how I've been acting during these past several months," he confessed. He peered at each face, waiting for a reaction. When he received none, he went on:

"I was kinda depressed, I guess, and I have been for awhile. But a person does get like that when he loses something that really means a lot to him."

Suddenly meek, Naruto lowered his head. "I didn't know if I should tell ya'll this, but I don't think it'll do me no good to keep it to myself."

The ambiance of the restaurant floated around them, and waiters rushed back and forth, but no one at Naruto's table watched them. They leaned forward, intent on hearing Naruto's quiet story.

"Ya'll know that Sasuke got married some time back," he said. "It didn't bother me so much, but see, he promised me that, no matter what, he'd still always have time for me. But it turned out, his new wife didn't think the same."

He grinned sadly. "She hated my guts, I think. She never did until she married Sasuke. She knew Sasuke and me were real close, and she didn't want to give Sasuke to me, not even for a second. She started telling Sasuke all that, and he didn't like it. But you know, he went along with it. And to be honest, I dunno if that was smart or stupid," he said frankly.

"What do you mean?" asked Kin softly, when nobody spoke.

Naruto looked down at her. "Maybe he didn't stand up to her because he loves her, and wants her to be happy. That would be smart. Maybe it was stupid, because he's too afraid of losing her to make her mad. Too much of a coward to do what'd be right. But when I think about it, I think it was good of him to care about her that much."

He turned back to Chōji, Kiba, Neji, and Shikamaru. "Anyway, she and Sasuke weren't getting along too good. It got to the point where Sasuke was afraid to come see me, because it made her so mad. She thought I was a bad influence on Sasuke." He chuckled remorsefully. "I don't have commitments. I don't have a wife or a girlfriend. I don't have kids. I barely have a house of my own. I'm carefree, I guess. But Sasuke has all those things, and his wife didn't want him to think light of them.

"Sasuke didn't ever come right out and tell me I was causing him so much trouble. I kinda figured that out on my own. So I told him that, if it would help him, he didn't have to feel like he had to come visit me anymore." His voice shook, just audibly. "I talked to him for a long time, and he agreed to stay away from me. But really... I don't think he wanted to.

"He went back home after that. And I haven't heard anything about him fighting with Mrs. Uchiha. His kid's doing good. I just feel like... I'm missing out on something I shouldn't have. I sound ungrateful, don't I?"

A hasty chorus of "no"s and "of course not"s was his reply.

"I think you did the right thing, Naruto," Kin said. She placed her hand on his forearm, and didn't move it.

The simple gesture helped Naruto more than she would have guessed. Swiftly, Naruto dropped his large hand onto hers, held it there briefly, then gently pushed her hand away. He smiled down at her, but could not stop imagining how it would have felt for Sasuke to touch him so softly.

"Sasuke sent me a letter a while back," he said, playing with his loose cufflinks. He wondered how to tell his friends of this incident without letting free those extremely personal emotions the letter had evoked from him.

"What'd it say?" Chōji asked, his brows furrowing with worry.

"He just told me that he was doing okay. And that there's not been any more fussing in his house. He told me a lot of things, but what he meant was, he's doing good without me."

Naruto laughed a little, albeit sadly. "That's what got under my skin so much. Here I was, grievin' over this, hardly able to talk to any of you guys, 'cause I wished so hard I was talking to Sasuke. I depended on him like a baby on a bottle, I'll tell you. Couldn't get him outta my head. And at the same time, Sasuke was living on, working and keeping his family happy. I felt like the biggest dunce this side of the world."

Suddenly his look of hesitance disappeared, replaced by a glare of steel. He lowered his head, his shoulders touching his ears when he bent down to become level with the startled gazes of his friends.

"But you guys know what?" He set his jaw. "I've decided to be done with crying. That ain't gonna fix nothing. If Sasuke was strong enough to make a sacrifice, I can be strong enough to just accept it. I've made up my mind. I'm gonna try to be every bit the man he's been. It takes a man to make rough choices to protect his family from falling apart."

He jerked his hand up, spreading his fingers. "There ain't no ring on my finger. Sasuke didn't make all those vows 'for better or for worse' to _me_. He made them to that little lady he married. She's his responsibility, and he did the right thing by leaving me to love on her. Even if it hurt. Even if it hurt _bad. _I respect him for that."

His words hung heavily in the air, and he heard himself breathing hard, winded by emotion and by his speech. Everyone stared at him, and Naruto could not decipher their expressions. Reluctantly, he sank back into his chair.

"I've made up my mind on something else, too," he said quietly. "You guys are my family, in a way. Sasuke is still my brother. He always will be, no matter who or what keeps us from seeing each other. But until I can be with him again, I'm gonna spend all my time with ya'll. Ya'll deserve it, doing so much for me. You fellas put up with me almost as good as Sasuke does."

A muffled sniffle caught his attention, and confused, Naruto cut a sidelong glance toward Kin. She bit her lip, and bravely raised her chin.

"I didn't know you were going through that. If I had known... if you had told me, I would have done more."

"Me, too," Shikamaru and Neji and Kiba added in unison. Chōji only watched Naruto, remembering when he had visited him to bring the flowers from Kin.

"You guys mean a lot to me." Naruto viciously scrubbed his wrist over his eyes. "I don't ever want you to think I don't care about you."

"We know you––" Before Shikamaru could finish, Naruto stretched over the table and slipped his arms around his neck. Shikamaru made no attempt at completing his sentence, and Naruto pulled back. One by one, he hugged his friends, holding them close and murmuring a quick "thanks" against their ear. Not even Neji had the cold audacity to shove Naruto away.

At last, Naruto turned to Kin. He beamed at her, and she tensed as he folded his broad arms around her shoulders, tucking her against his chest in an innocent embrace.

"Thank you, too, Kin," he said, his voice slurred as the top of her head bumped against his chin. He leaned back, ran his hands down her arms, and settled himself in his chair. Kin looked at Kiba, who shook his head in mock pity.

"I never thought you'd grow up, Naruto," Kiba said. "Thought we'd left you behind. But turns out, you're more mature than I'd ever be."

Naruto laughed again, though this time, it held a trace of true humor. "I wish, Kiba. I wish. I haven't been a very good adult lately. But I'm changing that."

Chōji, who had been relatively quiet during the conversation, got up abruptly. The legs of his chair squeaked against the floor, and he walked slowly toward Naruto. He patted his hand against Naruto's shoulder, shaking him.

"I think you're on the right track," he said.

This statement seemed to rouse everyone from their daze. Kiba stood up next, then Neji, then Shikamaru. They all milled around Naruto, each in turn hugging him, cuffing him, and laughing with him.

_I can't believe I went so long––so long without this. _Naruto accepted the contact of his friends, feeling better than he had since first being neglected by Sasuke. _These guys really love me. They really are my friends––they've forgiven me._

But as he turned his head to prevent Kiba's loud guffawing from rushing into his ear, he could not help acknowledging the essence of something missing from this scene. He wished Sasuke were in the midst of their huddle, acting miffed and annoyed when someone slung an arm around his neck to jostle him playfully.

Naruto valiantly tried to overlook the emptiness that oppressed him, and began to talk with his company.

_You might be with someone more important right now, Sas', but for now, I'll just remember how it felt to have you right beside me. And I'll wonder if you'll miss me as much as I miss you._

* * *

"Do you see that, Yoko?"

Sasuke gazed through the window of the new restaurant. The seats were all new, the leather shiny and clean. The carpets were thick, the tables were spotless, and Naruto, along with a group of his friends, was laughing and conversing as if they had not seen one another in months.

Yoko held onto Sasuke's neck, her fat arms squeezing just enough to keep Sasuke aware of his surroundings. He stepped back politely when a pedestrian crossed the sidewalk in front of him, then returned to staring past the pristine glass of the window.

_Did my letter... liberate him? _Sasuke swallowed, and Yoko peered up at him, concerned. _This whole time, was he just acting upset so I wouldn't feel bad? And when I tell him not to feel bad, he goes out and––_

"Da?" Yoko patted his cheek, pushing her short fingers beneath his bangs. "Da 'kay?"

Sasuke stopped himself from finishing the thought, and tenderly smoothed his thumb over Yoko's cheek. "Shh. No, Daddy's not okay. Daddy messed up, and now, he's getting what he deserves."

While he passed his palm over Yoko's thick and silky hair, the weight that crushed his composure grew heavier. _No, no... that's not it. Naruto's not a liar. He wouldn't lie to me about missing me. He's doing exactly what I told him to do. He's with his friends. He's with a woman, too. And he looks happy. But that's what he needs––he needs someone to pay attention to him, when I can't._

Sasuke's throat tightened, a sensation that had become familiar to him. _He's stronger than I could ever be. He takes his problems in stride. And he's doing what I told him. He's accepting that everything's changed, even though he doesn't want them to. And he's doing it all for me._

Sasuke lifted Yoko higher, so she could see the cluster of chattering people that surrounded Naruto. She placed her chubby hands on the window, beside Sasuke's pointing finger.

"See that?" Sasuke said softly. "Yoko, if you want to pattern yourself after someone when you grow up, don't try to be like me. I'm not someone you should be like. And don't act exactly like your mother, either, honey. If you want to have a role model, you should look to that guy over there. The one that's smiling, even though he's just been through an awful time. The one that everyone likes. The one that gives up his personal satisfaction to help someone he really loves."

He paused, and Yoko watched Naruto as well. "That's courage, Yoko. That's kindness. That's something I wasn't strong enough to do. That's a _real_ man."

He turned away hastily, his eyes burning. Yoko wrapped her fists in Sasuke's hair, yanking herself up high enough to stare over his shoulder. "Da!" She wriggled, as if to ask him why they were leaving the crowded restaurant instead of going inside to greet the blond man.

_It's good to see Naruto happy,_ he thought._ It's even good hearing that annoying laugh of his. And that should make me happy, too, _he realized. _But what would make me happier would be knowing if he misses me. _

Sasuke lowered his head, tightening his arms around his daughter. "One day, honey," he mumbled against her crown. "One day, we'll all be able to stay together without being afraid of hurting anyone. And one day, you'll be able to really get to know Uncle Naruto. And maybe one day... I can be half the man he is."

He began the short journey to his peaceful home.

* * *

**END**

* * *

**Last Note: **Sasuke and Naruto may not have made all the right decisions, but what's past is past, and that can't be changed. But the times coming can be directed; not controlled, but manipulated by the choices people make.

I didn't write this as the guidebook to friendship. I don't really know that much about friendship, myself - successful ones, that is. I wrote this to be a small piece taken out of lives. Not something perfect, but all the inevitable bad things mixed with the good. I realize the decisions Naruto and Sasuke made were not all right, and they could have done something else. They told lies, made mistakes, fought, and kept secrets, but we all do.

I'm glad to have finished this, and I hope the ending, if not entirely happy, was believable, at least. Thank you, everyone, for your critique, advice, and encouragement! And value the friends you have, really. Don't ever take them for granted. Real friendship cannot be ruined easily, if at all, but it can be hurt. Thankfully, though, it can also be healed.

_A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same._

_- Elbert Hubbard_


End file.
